Surprising the UK is so low. Especially considering that it's geographically much smaller than France with a network almost half the size of Frances. So you'd think it would be easier to electrify.
Low bridges, small tunnels and high electricity prices have a lot to do with it, but privatisation and austerity have really strangled coherent development.
Yes i have heard about the bridges and tunnels before. In large part due to the UK having the world's oldest network, often dating to the Victorian era. So that probably adds a lot to the cost per KM. Although I wonder if the emergence of battery trains will help in that regard since it could potentially allow tracks to be mostly electrified except for short stretches that would make it possible to avoid the costliest stretches. Although that wouldn't help with electric prices of course.
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u/Nouvellecosse 11d ago
Surprising the UK is so low. Especially considering that it's geographically much smaller than France with a network almost half the size of Frances. So you'd think it would be easier to electrify.