Rail improvement plans have been thrown into disarray after infrastructure company Network Rail (NR) admitted it had been "overly optimistic" about completing a five-year, £38 billion plan.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin responded by announcing that the plan was being "reset" because it was "costing more and taking longer".
He told MPs that electrification work was being "paused" on the Midland mainline and on the Transpennine route between Leeds and Manchester.
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He also announced a shake-up of NR management with chairman Richard Parry-Jones being replaced by London's Transport Commissioner Sir Peter Hendy.