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
View on parliament.uk
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
View on parliament.uk
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
View on parliament.uk
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
6 results
Clear
8 Conclusion Accepted in Part
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline undermined by lack of updates and immature projects.
The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) was a sound idea, undermined by a chronic lack of updates and by poor decisions to add immature or unfunded projects to the list. If these weaknesses were 50 addressed, it could form the … Read more
Government Response
The Government agrees that smoothing workload is important but does not agree that making changes to the funding method is the right solution. Government agrees that the pipeline must clearly distinguish between funded commitments and earlier-stage proposals but does not support publishing extended indicative pipelines that imply funding commitment and instead will use a clearly defined potential pipeline that will provide directional visibility without undermining fiscal credibility.
Department for Transport
View details
12 Recommendation Accepted in Part
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Require a high viability bar for RNEP projects and regular review by key bodies.
The RNEP should not become an unfunded wishlist: there must be a high bar of viability for projects to be included, and a commensurately high bar for any subsequent decision to remove them from the pipeline. The inclusion and status … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees any pipeline must clearly distinguish between funded commitments and earlier-stage proposals. They recognize the Committee's interest in greater clarity on the level and source of funding committed to individual schemes and will set out scheme-level funding allocations.
Department for Transport
View details
13 Recommendation Accepted in Part
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Implement ORR's review findings and identify RNEP projects suitable for private sector investment.
The RNEP should also be a tool for promoting rail infrastructure investment from sources other than central government. We urge the Government to implement the findings of the Office of Rail and Road’s review of the Rail Network Investment Framework, … Read more
Government Response
The government supports private investment in rail where it delivers value for money, but will signal opportunities through pipeline publications and structured market engagement rather than using the RNEP as a general prospectus.
Department for Transport
View details
14 Recommendation Accepted in Part
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Identify regional schemes in the RNEP and include all devolved authority enhancement projects.
The RNEP should also identify those schemes which are most appropriate for funding and delivery at a regional level, such as those where alignment with national objectives is not sufficient to warrant full central government funding but which would be … Read more
Government Response
The Enhancements Portfolio and the associated pipeline publications will provide visibility of regionally led and co-funded schemes where they affect the national network, supporting alignment with national objectives and full transparency for industry.
Department for Transport
View details
15 Recommendation Accepted in Part
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Promptly reflect outcomes of Spending Reviews and government announcements in RNEP updates.
The 2025 Spending Review has provided welcome clarity on what inherited enhancements the Department is proceeding with and those which it has decided to pause. Such announcements do not, however, provide 51 information in the format or detail necessary to … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the importance of transparency and forward visibility, stating they are moving towards more regular, structured, and accessible publication of the enhancements portfolio; they will set out a potential pipeline that will provide an indicative view of strategically aligned schemes.
Department for Transport
View details
17 Conclusion Accepted in Part
7th Report - Rail investment pipel…
Absence of long-term rolling stock strategy created damaging boom-and-bust investment cycles.
The pattern of boom and bust has been especially apparent in rolling stock investment. There is widespread agreement, including from the Government, that the absence of a long-term rolling stock strategy, aligned to a similar strategy for infrastructure, has resulted … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees that the experience of Control Period transitions should be examined, including the start of CP7 and the potential for volatility within Control Periods so that lessons can be learned to strengthen mobilisation, sequencing and improve delivery for the supply chain but does not agree that this requires commissioning and publishing an independent review in advance of the establishment of Great British Railways; this work can be taken forward through existing assurance and regulatory processes to inform GBR and future Funding Period arrangements.
Department for Transport
View details
Government Response AI assessment · 27 of 15 classified
Accepted 8
Accepted in Part 6
Acknowledged 13
Total 15 recs + 12 conclusions