Lakes Line To Be Electric Case Study

15 May 2019, 08:35 | Updated: 15 May 2019, 08:37

It's claimed electrification of the Lakes Line can be done at up to a third of the cost the government thinks it would have to spend.

In 2017, the Department for Transport shelved plans to electrify the route between Windermere and Oxenholme, because it was too expensive.

Local MP Tim Farron's met with the Railway Industry Association who say they'll use the Lakes Line as a case study to show how cheaply it can be achieved.

Mr. Farron said: “I’m really grateful to the RIA in agreeing to makes the Lakes Line a case study for electrification.

“This gives us every chance that we will be able to present a cheaper version of electrification to Government in order to get them to change their mind.

“There is already a lot of pressure for the Department for Transport to do this from an environmental point of view. If the Government is serious about tackling climate change then it needs to be electrifying lines – especially the one taking people into Britain’s second biggest visitor destination.”