The Rail Forum and its members welcome today’s publication by the Transport Committee of two reports; one on the ‘Railways Bill’ and the other into ‘Rail investment pipelines: ending boom and bust’.
Both the reports highlight the role of the supply chain and the importance of long-term planning to secure domestic capabilities, skilled jobs and private sector investment.
The report into the Railways Bill welcomes “provision for a Long Term Rail Strategy. The more clarity that can be given to both the public and private sector about the long-term strategic aims for the railway, the greater the benefits will be in terms of efficiency, planning for rail infrastructure and clarity for the wider economy”. (Conclusion, Paragraph 23)
However, it also cautions that there needs to be “more detail in the Bill on what the Long Term Rail Strategy must include… to ensure the document is meaningful and useful, and that it gives a measure of clarity and certainty. (Recommendation, Paragraph 26)
The report into ‘Rail investment pipelines: ending boom and bust’ goes into further detail, in particular noting that “uneven and uncertain funding and procurement putting the viability of employers (including SMEs) at risk and delaying much-needed improvements to the network. The capacity of the railway to flourish under Great British Railways would be undermined by a weakened rail industry sector. (Conclusion, Paragraph 9)
It also compares the recent approach of the UK government to rail investment with that to be found in Scotland: “A steady pipeline would support jobs at all levels of the supply chain, facilitate workforce planning, help industry address skills shortages and foster innovation. Success stories from Scotland, where there has been greater certainty of future workload, show the relationship between steady investment and industry’s ability to invest in its people and provide high- quality employment.” (Conclusion, Paragraph 38)
Aligning with recommendations made in the report into the Railways Bill the Rail Investment Pipeline report recognises the need for “… a consistent strategic vision that predictably informs shorter-term planning, and which provides a reliable guide to strategic investment decisions for both Government and industry. (Conclusion, Paragraph 109)
It further notes that: “The strategy should set out firm objectives on matters of long- term infrastructure policy including electrification, rolling stock, accessibility and capacity” as well as “the largest infrastructure programmes on the railway—those at the level of HS2 or Northern Powerhouse Rail which take more than a decade— with a clear articulation of how these programmes will achieve the Government’s strategic objectives.” (Recommendation, Paragraph 111)
This should “have a timescale of at least 30 years to provide the necessary vision for underpinning shorter-term decisions on specific projects and funding. It also needs to be protected from unnecessary or radical changes of direction that would undermine its value.” (Recommendation, Paragraph 119)
Elaine Clark, Rail Forum CEO said: “We very much welcome Transport Committee’s call for a long-term rail strategy that would help the supply chain to better support the ambitions of Great British Railways to deliver for passengers, freight users and the wider community the railway serves.
“At the same time we also acknowledge and welcome the Department for Transport’s early engagement with organisations like the Rail Forum on their current development of a long-term Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Plan.
“It is encouraging to see that both the DfT and the Transport Committee are aligned on the need for long-term planning, to support and sustain the UK supply chain whether they are OEMs, Primes or SMEs.”