Commenting on the Transport Select Committee’s reports on the rail infrastructure investment pipeline and the Railways Bill published today (10 February) Railway Industry Association Chief Executive Darren Caplan said: “The new reports are an important contribution from a cross-party group of MPs on the need for more clarity around both the future of rail investment pipelines and more details around how Great British Railways (GBR) will work.
“The Railway Industry Association (RIA) has been arguing for a clear and visible pipeline of work to be published ever since the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) was launched in 2019 so we welcome the Select Committee’s recognition of the ‘damaging uncertainty’ this has caused to the UK rail supply chain and the need for ‘clarity to plan and invest’.
“The MPs also acknowledge that many of GBR’s key policies, processes and decisions have yet to be determined, which adds to the current sense of uncertainty among companies across the railway industry. The report is right to say that the ‘advent of GBR is an opportunity for a new approach to investing in the railways’, and we look forward to seeing more details of the Government’s detailed plans for rail reform and future investment models which will allow rail suppliers to plan and invest for the future.”
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