Government stands accused of a “disappointing lack of progress” for taking forward rail electrification, which poses “further risk” to its own Net Zero targets.
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A report published today by the House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee says electrification of the network will require between £18Bn and £26Bn of investment. However, the Department for Transport, which has promised a long term plan for rail including a strategy for decarbonisation “lacks urgency in its delivery”.
The report highlights a ‘feast or famine’ approach to rail electrification projects, which it says has directly caused boom and bust problems in the supply chain for small and medium sized companies involved in delivery.
The Committee calls on the Department to respond by December, setting out how it will deliver the electrification required to meet Net Zero commitments and how it plans to fund a stable programme of investment.
Broader criticisms made of the Government’s rail plans include how passengers “are too often an afterthought in major rail projects”. The report adds that the Department for Transport now faces “an extremely challenging and uncertain environment in which to implement its proposed reforms”.
It is also unclear that the Department’s plan for railways during the transition to a new system “fairly distributes risks between Government and operators, or provides incentives for operators to deliver efficient, high quality and value for money passenger services”.
The Committee also claims that the Department for Transport “lacks a convincing and timely plan for encouraging passengers back to the railway” as part of recovery from the pandemic.
While the Department and Network Rail have some plans to encourage people back to rail, such as increasing service capacity and passenger information, “these plans do not reflect the urgency required to avoid an increase in car use as people begin to travel again”, which would undermine the decarbonisation of transport required to meet net zero commitments.
Public Accounts Committee chair Dame Meg Hillier said: “Rail reform won’t work if it doesn’t work for taxpayers and fare paying passengers, and the Government won’t achieve its economic and environmental goals without effective rail reform.
“There is everything to play for in delivering a rail system that delivers for passengers and encourages greener travel. But there are still many moving parts and a huge challenge to balance costs. The Government needs to show it can act with urgency and put passengers’ experience at the centre of its reforms.”
In response, a Department for Transport spokesman said: “Our Plan for Rail sets out the biggest reforms to our railways in a generation, focused on the passenger, ending a fragmented, unsustainable system and delivering clear national leadership under a single body, Great British Railways.
“Our proposals will ensure greater value for money for taxpayers and a better deal for passengers – with affordable fares and the punctual, reliable services they deserve as people return to the railways.”
(Photograph: Network Rail)
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