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There’s no doubt the way we travel by rail has shifted over the past few years. And with it, the way we must plan for, develop and deliver new infrastructure and services have also shifted.
The impact of Covid-19 lockdowns, a subsequent revival of rail for leisure travel and now the continuing return to more office or site-based working, have all changed the game for the rail network and the services operated on it.
The new government also alters the context, and potentially the rules and appetite for investment. While a reanimation of HS2 north of the Midlands remains off the cards, the focus on connectivity in the North of England has become sharper. While we await the autumn budget for details of anything specific for the medium or longer term, it is already clear that getting rail investment and services right will be an area of keen interest for the Labour government.
So what does this mean for the rail industry, its growth potential, and for those who use the network?
It remains the case that consistency and reliability are key. Without the confidence that they, or their goods, will get to where they need to be, when they want to be there, people will not choose to go by rail and will hit the roads instead.
The whole rail network, local and long-distance; passenger and freight; must be fit to support the services being operated on it. Cutting back on maintenance, delaying renewals and deferring enhancements all contribute to a build-up of problems that eventually bring about service deterioration, revenue decline and, ultimately, failure of key infrastructure.
Cost management needs to be scrutinised, of course it does, but in that bigger transport picture, where moving more journeys to rail brings decongestion elsewhere, and decarbonisation everywhere, we must value the return on what we spend more wholistically. This approach could also provide a more fertile ground for private finance initiatives, taking pressure off the already-stretched public purse and allowing projects to get moving more quickly.
Another argument that remains as strong as ever is the one for a different perspective on return-on-investment. Getting bang for your bucks is not only about the money going out being more than the money that went in – it’s also about the wider benefits to people, businesses, society and the environment. That outcome-focused approach also encourages other improvements to be carried out around alongside rail investment, resulting in places that enable multi-modal travel, support the environment, and open up new housing, education, employment and economic opportunities.
None of this can be put into place without the political will of course. With the Labour government settling in ready to outline its first Budget in the autumn, and 11 mayors to lead the regional approach, now is the time to seek out new opportunities, to push the decisions through, and put into action the plans that will benefit rail now and into the future.
