Plans for a new central organisation to operate and plan the railways, own the infrastructure and set fares and timetables were detailed earlier this year in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail.

Now a Great British Railways ‘transition team’ is taking its first steps towards the creation of this body with the launch of a call for evidence that will inform a 30 year ‘Whole Industry Strategic Plan’ for the sector.

Views are sought on the role of rail in achieving five strategic objectives: meeting customers’ needs, delivering financial sustainability, contributing to long term economic growth, connectivity for levelling up and delivering environmental sustainability.

In particular, one question asks respondents to suggest ‘innovative or modernising ideas’ which would benefit the railway while supporting the overarching objectives, and another asks about how rail can best invest in climate resilience, supported by technology.

One initiative that could warrant further roll out is detailed in TP’s Innovation Special, which will publish in the upcoming January 2022 issue of the magazine. It saw a system of solar powered sensors and cameras installed on steep sided railway cuttings in East Sussex to provide Network Rail with early warnings of possible landslips.

Further questions posed as part of the consultation seek views on setting ‘stretching but realistic’ targets for achieving each of the strategic ambitions, as well as thoughts on how passenger expectations may evolve over the coming years.

Leader of the Great British Railways transition team Andrew Haines – who is Network Rail’s chief executive – said: “The Whole Industry Strategic Plan will help determine the future of the railway and we want it to be informed by as many different perspectives as possible, to learn from the lessons of the past and to meet the challenges of the future.”

The call for evidence is now open and runs until 4 February.

Meanwhile High Speed 2 last week awarded major rolling stock contracts worth around £2Bn to a Hitachi-Alstom joint venture. The firms will design, build and maintain a fleet of 54 fully electric, high speed trains to operate on the High Speed 2 network, capable of reaching speeds of up to 225mph.

(Photograph: Network Rail)