Rail investment pipelines: ending boom and bust

Transport Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 17 Dec 2024 Parliament page
The Transport Committee is examining investment pipelines for the railway. This inquiry will examine how a planned, steady pipeline of projects and investments (including elements such as track enhancements, station upgrades, and rolling stock orders) could benefit the development of the railway, including by enabling the rail supply industry to … Read more
15 Recommendations
12 Conclusions
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
5 Events
Activity timeline 12 events
1 May
2026
Report published
10 Feb
2026
Report published
16 Jul
2025
Oral evidence
16 Jul
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
2 Jul
2025
Oral evidence
2 Jul
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
18 Jun
2025
Oral evidence
18 Jun
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
11 Jun
2025
Oral evidence
11 Jun
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
7 May
2025
Oral evidence
7 May
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
16 Jul 2025
View on parliament.uk
Alan Over · Department for Transport Alex Hynes · Department for Transport Lord Hendy CBE · Department for Transport
2 Jul 2025
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David Leeder · Transport Investment Limited Dawn Badminton-Capps · North East Combined Authority Huw Merriman, former Rail Minister Jim Steer · Greengauge 21 Liz Goldsby · Transport for Greater Manchester Mal Drury-Rose · West Midlands Rail Executive
18 Jun 2025
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John Leach · RMT John McGookin · Unite the Union Jonathan Spruce · Institution of Civil Engineers Jonathan Spruce · Institution for Civil Engineers Mick Whelan · ASLEF Miss Lydia Amarquaye · Institution of Mechanical Engineers Neil Robertson · National Skills Academy for Rail Robin Jenks · TSSA (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association) Stephen Barber · Permanent Way Institution
11 Jun 2025
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Christoph Pasternak · Eurofima Malcolm Brown · Angel Trains Ltd Peter Broadley · Alstom UK & Ireland Sambit Banerjee · Siemens Mobility Limited
7 May 2025
View on parliament.uk
Elaine Clark OBE · Rail Forum Jeremy Westlake · Network Rail Michelle Craven-Faulkner · Rail Forum Noel Travers · Railway Industry Association Robert Cook · Railway Industry Association Sir Andrew Haines · Network Rail
Title HC No. Published Items Response
7th Report - Rail investment pipelines: ending boom and bust HC 575 10 Feb 2026 27 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
8 results
Clear
9 Recommendation Accepted
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Revamp and annually republish the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, reflecting all government decisions.
The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline should be revamped and updated, taking account of all the decisions made by the Government on enhancements since July 2024. It should then be revised and re-published at least annually. (Recommendation, Paragraph 67) Read more
Government Response
The government agrees to a Long-Term Rail Strategy (LTRS) and commits to laying a Written Ministerial Statement as well as a copy of the LTRS in the library of both Houses to ensure parliamentarians can scrutinise the strategy and any revisions made to it.
Department for Transport
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18 Recommendation Accepted
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Publish an urgent rolling stock strategy, aligned with pipelines and developed with industry.
We welcome the Government’s commitment to publishing a rolling stock strategy in 2026: this work is urgent. The strategy must be clearly aligned with the pipeline of both major projects and enhancements, so that decisions about track and about the … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the Committee’s emphasis on integration and is already underway with operators and delivery partners on upcoming fleet replacement programmes to ensure that infrastructure requirements are considered from the outset; the Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Whole System Strategy will set out its vision.
Department for Transport
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19 Recommendation Accepted
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Define standard train families for the national network to limit rolling stock proliferation.
The Department should set out in the Long Term Rail Strategy a clear policy statement on its intention to limit the proliferation of rolling stock types. Within two years, the Department and Great British Railways should define a small number … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees that the national train fleet needs to be simplified to help achieve better value for money, easier redeployment of fleet around the network and provide a more consistent and high-quality experience for passengers and the Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Whole System Strategy will set out our vision for how this could be achieved as fleets get replaced and refurbished over time.
Department for Transport
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20 Conclusion Accepted
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Lack of consistent strategic vision prevents stable railway investment pipelines.
A consistent strategic vision of what the railway is for and how it will contribute to the wider priorities of Government is fundamental to achieving stable investment pipelines. Successive governments have failed to articulate what they want the railway network … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees to create a Long-Term Rail Strategy (LTRS) setting out a framework for rail over the next 30 years, which will be subject to stakeholder engagement and consultation. The government will also lay a Written Ministerial Statement and a copy of the LTRS in the library of both Houses.
Department for Transport
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21 Conclusion Accepted
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Consistent strategic vision, not decades-long pipeline, is needed for railway investment planning.
We found little appetite during our inquiry for a detailed, confirmed pipeline of railway projects lasting decades into the future; this would be unrealistic. What is needed instead is a consistent strategic vision that predictably informs shorter-term planning, and which … Read more
Government Response
The government will lay a Written Ministerial Statement as well as a copy of the LTRS in the library of both Houses to ensure parliamentarians can scrutinise the strategy and any revisions made to it.
Department for Transport
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22 Recommendation Accepted
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Establish a Long Term Rail Strategy to provide certainty for investment priorities.
We welcome the provision made in the Railways Bill for a Long Term Rail Strategy: it is long past time that such a vision is set out for the railways. The Strategy must provide a basis for consensus and certainty … Read more
Government Response
The Government agrees that there should be a Long-Term Rail Strategy (LTRS) which sets out a clear and coherent framework for the role of rail over the next 30 years. The Government will commit to laying a Written Ministerial Statement as well as a copy of the LTRS in the library of both Houses to ensure parliamentarians can scrutinise the strategy and any revisions made to it.
Department for Transport
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23 Recommendation Accepted
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Set out clear objectives, commitments, and assessment criteria within the Long Term Rail Strategy.
In order to achieve this: • the Strategy should set out firm objectives on matters of long- term infrastructure policy including electrification, rolling stock, accessibility and capacity; • the Strategy should be the means for setting out commitments to the … Read more
Government Response
The government will lay a Written Ministerial Statement as well as a copy of the LTRS in the library of both Houses to ensure parliamentarians can scrutinise the strategy and any revisions made to it.
Department for Transport
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27 Recommendation Accepted
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Clarify Great British Railways' autonomy in enhancements planning and ministerial oversight to prevent micromanagement.
We want Great British Railways to reach its potential for making unified decisions over track and train informed by expertise in railway systems. We expect political leaders to set its strategic direction and hold it accountable for delivery, but micromanagement … Read more
Government Response
The government states that ministerial oversight of Great British Railways will focus on setting long-term objectives, approving major funding commitments and holding GBR to account for delivery, rather than micromanaging individual scheme decisions.
Department for Transport
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Government Response AI assessment · 27 of 15 classified
Accepted 8
Accepted in Part 6
Acknowledged 13
Total 15 recs + 12 conclusions