The LNER Encyclopedia

One thing that has puzzled me over the years - what was the justification for electrifying the line from Cambridge to King's Lynn via Ely, given the high infrastructure costs of electrification. Wikipedia gives passenger usage at King's Lynn at just under 900,000 pa, which is hardly astronomical.

Surely there were other more worthy candidates, such as Doncaster to Peterborough via Lincoln, which would have provided a viable ECML alternative route.

G'Day Gents

Sometimes it's just the continuity, it allows KX to Kings Lynn through trains, you can then spread the siding space, rather than having to build a large depot at say Cambridge, trains can be stabled at Kings Lynn, Ely, Cambridge, Hitchin, WGC.

Also 900,000 people is a fair number, could return 25 million a year.

manna

Ever heard of electro-diesels?

Has all the hallmarks of a political job to me.

In the 1980's electro diesels would have meant continueing with hauled stock from Liv St and KX. I'd suggest the cost of that would have been far greater than the extension of the wires North from Cambridge.
Also IIRC there was an effort to keep the electrification team together as stop/start cost was greater.

As for Politics, it was a nationalised railway so had been a political football since 1948.

Pyewipe Junction wrote: ↑Fri Nov 16, 2018 9:11 am Ever heard of electro-diesels?

Has all the hallmarks of a political job to me.

Through services operate to/from both London Liverpool Street and King's Cross, the lines of which were both electrified with 25KV OHLE. Given the longstanding history of through services and the fact that King's Lynn is also a commuter town, not only for Cambridge but also into London, to have to provide loco-hauled stopping services instead of EMUs just don't make any sense, financially or operationally.

Nothing political about that.

The only 'external' influence is the fact that the route also serves Sandringham...

Continuity is no doubt the correct answer here, lets also remember the years it took to finally extend the wires from Bishops Stortford and then Royston to Cambridge so it made sense to carry onto Kings Lynn, its a shame that other electrification was not carried out to fill the gaps like the finish of third rail south of the Thames, now of course with the curtailment of wiring on Great Western, one day they will realise that bio mode is not always the be all and end all and when a cheaper way of wiring up comes about someone will have an "EURIKA" moment and suggest wiring up the Felixstowe branch, Stowmarket to Ely and onto Peterborough which of course will benefit both Freight and Passenger.