Demands include clarity around the transition to Great British Railways, the body due to replace Network Rail at some point in 2023. According to the RIA, the current ambiguity around timings and details risks causing a hiatus in rail work.
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Another issue the RIA wants to see addressed is the publication of the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline (RNEP), a nominally annual update on planned works that hasn’t been made public in almost three years. The body is also calling for additional clarity around major projects such as HS2, East West Rail and Northern Powerhouse Rail, as well as confirmation of long-term structural funding under Control Period 7 (CP7) that will enable industry to invest with confidence.
“UK rail is well positioned to support the government in its mission to boost economic growth, with the industry contributing £43bn of GVA, supporting 710,000 jobs, providing £14bn in tax revenues to the Treasury, and generating £2.50 in the wider economy for every pound spent on the railway sector,” said RIA chief executive Darren Caplan. “But rail’s potential to deliver economic growth will be hampered by uncertainty and ambiguity if we do not get confirmation of the government’s plans.
New Secretary of State for Transport Anne-Marie Trevelyan is due to address the Conservative conference on Tuesday October 4th. Her speech comes with the new government in turmoil off the back of chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget 10 days ago which spooked financial markets and precipitated a major U-turn on removing the 45 per cent top rate of tax. Speeches this week from Kwarteng, prime minister Liz Truss and cabinet colleagues including Trevelyan will seek to shift the narrative away from last week’s financial chaos and back to one of growth.
“As the new Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan prepares to address the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, we urge her and her colleagues in government to provide the clarity the railway industry needs on Great British Railways, the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, major projects and long-term funding,” Caplan continued.
“By doing so, the government would not only help to unleash the potential of rail to help drive economic growth, it would also provide a boost to connectivity and capacity, which the country is going to need in future if it is to link and level up communities across the UK”.
Let us know your thoughts on Great British Railways and other major issues facing UK rail in the comments section below.
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