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Great Western rail electrification cost 'up to £2.8bn' | Great Western rail electrification cost 'up to £2.8bn' |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The cost of electrifying the Great Western railway line between Cardiff and London could reach £2.8bn, the boss of Network Rail has said. | |
Chief executive Mark Carne told MPs the estimate had been £874m in January 2013 and £1.5bn in September 2014. | Chief executive Mark Carne told MPs the estimate had been £874m in January 2013 and £1.5bn in September 2014. |
Mr Carne blamed "inadequate planning and scope definition" in the early stages and an out-of-date cost base. | |
Public accounts chair Meg Hiller called the increase "staggering" and claimed he had fallen "asleep on the job". | |
"From the very early stages of the design of a project, as you go forward there's a significant degree of uncertainty," Mr Carne told the Commons public accounts committee on Wednesday. | |
"I fully accept that this is extremely disappointing to everybody involved," he added. | |
Ms Hillier responded: "It's unbelievable and it's unacceptable that there was such poor planning." |