The Railway Industry Association (RIA) – which champions a dynamic UK rail supply sector – has called on the Government to inject more urgency into setting out its strategy for rail, to help it deliver its ambition to kick-start economic growth across the nations and regions of the UK.
Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: "The Railway Industry Association acknowledges and appreciates the significant investment which the Government has dedicated to rail this year amid constrained public finances, and we recognise its commitment to delivering rail reform under a new Great British Railways body.
“However, with rail reform progressing at a slower pace than many expected, and with the Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme reportedly delayed.”
“We and our members would like to see more urgency injected, particularly into setting out clear plans for investments in the years ahead, which is needed to support business confidence.”
“This is especially urgent if the Government wants to see the kind of accelerated economic growth it says it wants in the years ahead, and which rail is ideally placed to support as its industry generates hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs, and billions of pounds of investment and tax revenue.
“Continuing the theme of urgency, we don’t need to wait for rail reform to be completed to publish a long-term rail strategy setting out the Government’s priorities, we don’t need rail reform to push on with previously announced schemes like Northern Powerhouse Rail, East West Rail and Midlands Rail Hub, we don’t need rail reform to publish a rolling stock strategy and pipeline, and we don’t need rail reform to develop and bring in new and innovative forms of funding. Pushing forward more rapidly and setting out clear and consistent pipelines of work will bring confidence to the railway industry, and help the Government lower the cost of the railway for rail’s customers – passengers and freight – as well as delivering value for money to the Treasury and taxpayer.”
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