'Electrification exile' Sheffield not only suffers from north-south divide but also north-north split
Andrew Oldfield on Sheffield’s train lines being left behind...
'We're going backwards' when the future should be electric.
This reveals a big city harbouring a small town mentality destined to bring more electrification misery because the Sheffield-Leeds plan is an isolated consolation package.
Meanwhile, the People's Network is thin on rail meaning no change in the direction of travel when Sheffield requires widespread electrification.Sheffield breeds no proud rail tradition, it does not 'get' rail which has been an undervalued asset neglected by the city - and hence it lacks electrification.
Electrification is an absolute big city must. It is not an optional extra or a luxury, it is a must. Without it how can Sheffield possibly compete with rival cities?
By being an electrification exile, Sheffield not only suffers from the north-south divide but also the north-north divide too.
If you want something badly then you must be prepared to fight for it which has never been apparent or convincing with Sheffield's rail lobbying. This must have been noted by successive governments and the Department for Transport - leaving the city expendable and culminating in four rejections of Midland Main Line (MML) electrification - lamely accepted when outrage was required.
Who from the good and the great of this city, especially the politicians, but also industrialists and academia have ever strongly extolled the virtues of MML electrification by noting the scale and impact of the project in terms of game-changing and transformational, huge investment after decades of investment starvation?
This is the so-called 'sparks effect' that would create a modern city fit for the 21st century by attracting further investment.
When did Sheffield last call for parity? Has it ever done so? Is it not what residents would naturally expect leaders to secure the best for the city? Who would object to parity? Proper free parity or perish from the absence of parity. Is parity a foul word? Leeds might be. What a contrast where this city has gained greatly from huge rail investment, including electrification, against a stagnant Sheffield.Challenges are to be overcome. They should not be taken to be insurmountable.
When Chris Grayling was Secretary of State for Transport, press reports stated that all bridges as far north as Derby had been cleared for electrification.
Stand up for Sheffield? Is there anybody who will do this for rail? A case of someone committed to ending the terrible cycle that has denied Sheffield electrification - leaving the city the undisputed poor rail relation of the UK.