THE man who led the British Rail side of a joint review 30 years ago of the case for mainline electrification has come out of a long retirement to say the results “are still valid”.

Started in 1978 and completed in 1981, the joint review by BR and the then Department of Transport put forward a range of electrification options. The bigger the schemes the better the financial benefits.

If the most ambitious option had been adopted, four teams would have spent 20 years extending the wires over much of the network, including destinations such as Penzance, Holyhead and Aberdeen. By now around 85 per cent of all operations would be electrically operated.

David Cobbett, who retired 23 years ago as director, information systems and technology, led the BR input.

He has now told Railnews: “I still hold firmly to the results and recommendations of the study and am sure that they are still valid and need further airing.”

Mr Cobbett says he has prepared a summary of the original lengthy document “for easier reading and absorption”.

He added: “There is growing interest for developing the case for main-line electrification in every aspect – operational efficiency, cost reduction, traffic development, environmental benefits and reduction in demand for oil. 

“An effective way to do this would be take the proven case made in 1981 and then re-work the calculations.”

Mr Cobbett believes Network Rail is the organisation that should do this.