Great Western line electrification 'deferred' amid cost overruns

Rail minister admits there have been ‘difficulties’ with modernising branch lines on routes to Oxford and BristolWork to electrify key branch lines on rail routes to Oxford and Bristol has been suspended, the government has announced. The troubled programme has been beset by delays and cost overruns, with its budget trebling to £2.8bn. Although a review of the work by Network Rail in 2015 led to the project being replanned on a “more efficient footing”, on Tuesday t