Rail network planning transparency

#45 — East-west rail connectivity in the North now considered as series of programmes

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department told us it is also carrying out development work on how to improve the east–west rail connectivity in the north of England. It said that this may well now be considered as a series of programmes and choices …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2025 Preparatory work on a disposal programme for Phase 2 is already underway. As part of these preparations, the department is undertaking a review …

Not Addressed

#21 — Actively pursue a Veterinary Medicines Agreement with the EU to facilitate smoother trade

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Government should actively pursue a Veterinary Medicines Agreement with the EU in tandem with the SPS agreement to facilitate smoother trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. In its response to this report, the Government should set out its …

Gov response: The government is committed to ensuring that Northern Ireland continues to have access to the veterinary medicines they need to ensure the health and welfare of animals. We have now moved beyond the end of …

No Published Response

#13 — Provide and publish a clear, realistic transition timetable for common SPS area

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Government should provide a clear, realistic transition timetable for moving to a common SPS area, published with key milestones at least 12–24 months in advance. This must not be subject to repeated changes, and implementation plans should be developed …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. As communicated on 9 March, it is our intent that the new SPS Agreement will take effect in mid-2027. We have been listening to businesses. We know that some …

No Published Response

#12 — Frequent border policy changes cause disruption, requiring realistic and stable timelines

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Frequent border policy changes over recent years have created disruption, uncertainty and financial pressure for port health and local authorities. Stakeholders are clear that another shift in border regimes will only be manageable if timelines are realistic, communicated early, and …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. As communicated on 9 March, it is our intent that the new SPS Agreement will take effect in mid-2027. We have been listening to businesses. We know that some …

No Published Response

#6 — Urgently publish timeline for extending Awaab's Law to all hazards by March 2026.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: The Government must urgently set and publish the timeline for extending Awaab’s Law to all remaining hazards, so that tenants and social landlords have clarity about when they can expect these new regulations to apply. This should be produced no …

Gov response: 25. In the coming weeks, we will work with the National Housing Federation, Local Government Association and other sector bodies to agree a compact. Once agreed, that compact will be overseen by a taskforce comprising …

Under Consideration

#23 — Set out clear objectives, commitments, and assessment criteria within the Long Term Rail Strategy.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: Partially agree 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 LTRS will …

Accepted

#22 — Establish a Long Term Rail Strategy to provide certainty for investment priorities.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: Agree 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 LTRS will articulate: …

Accepted

#21 — Consistent strategic vision, not decades-long pipeline, is needed for railway investment planning.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: Partially agree 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 LTRS will …

Accepted

#20 — Lack of consistent strategic vision prevents stable railway investment pipelines.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: Agree 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 LTRS will articulate: …

Accepted

#18 — Publish an urgent rolling stock strategy, aligned with pipelines and developed with industry.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: Agree The Government agrees with the Committee’s emphasis on integration. Fragmentation of planning and procurement has historically contributed to inefficiencies and misalignment between infrastructure capability and rolling stock deployment. We are, therefore, not waiting for …

Accepted

#17 — Absence of long-term rolling stock strategy created damaging boom-and-bust investment cycles.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: Partially agree Summary position: 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 …

Partially Accepted

#16 — Clarify relationship between UK Infrastructure Pipeline and RNEP for consistent industry information.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: While we recognise the fledging status of the UK Infrastructure Pipeline, we are unconvinced of its current usefulness to stakeholders in the rail industry because of its lack of detail at the necessary scale. We ask the Department for Transport …

Gov response: Agree The Government agrees that transparency is important and that industry benefits from clear forward visibility. Rather than relying on infrequent static documents, the Government is moving towards more regular, structured and accessible publication of …

Response Pending

#15 — Promptly reflect outcomes of Spending Reviews and government announcements in RNEP updates.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: Partially agree The Government agrees that transparency is important and that industry benefits from clear forward visibility. Rather than relying on infrequent static documents, the Government is moving towards more regular, structured and accessible publication …

Partially Accepted

#14 — Identify regional schemes in the RNEP and include all devolved authority enhancement projects.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: Partially agree The Government recognises the important role of Devolved Administrations, Mayoral Combined Authorities and local partners in shaping, funding and delivering rail investment. The Enhancements Portfolio and the associated pipeline publications will provide visibility …

Partially Accepted

#13 — Implement ORR's review findings and identify RNEP projects suitable for private sector investment.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: 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, …

Gov response: Partially agree The Government supports the use of private investment in the rail sector where it delivers clear value for money, transfers risk to the parties best placed to manage it and supports innovation and …

Partially Accepted

#12 — Require a high viability bar for RNEP projects and regular review by key bodies.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: Partially agree The Government agrees that any pipeline, particularly if published, must clearly distinguish between funded commitments and earlier-stage or aspirational proposals. The RNEP portfolio includes live schemes that have received funding and are progressing …

Partially Accepted

#11 — Require the RNEP to clearly set out committed funding and provide 5-year rolling certainty.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The RNEP should set out clearly how much funding has been committed, from what sources, and for the purpose of reaching which milestones. It should provide certainty at least five years into the future on a rolling basis, with an …

Gov response: The Government recognises that devolved and regional partners play an increasingly important role in shaping and delivering rail investment. Some enhancements are particularly well suited to regional leadership or co-funding, including schemes where the primary …

Under Consideration

#10 — Delay and withdrawal of immature rail schemes erodes industry and community confidence.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The delay or withdrawal of immature schemes is disruptive for industry and disappointing for communities who expected to benefit from new or upgraded facilities and services. It erodes confidence in the ability of the system to prioritise the right projects, …

Gov response: The Government agrees that credible visibility is essential for both the supply chain and private investors, and that rail should remain a sector which welcomes private capital and innovation alongside public investment. The Government also …

Accepted

#9 — Revamp and annually republish the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, reflecting all government decisions.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: 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)

Gov 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 LTRS will articulate: • …

Accepted

#8 — Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline undermined by lack of updates and immature projects.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: The Government agrees that smoothing workload is important. We have seen how a more predictable pipeline supports workforce planning, skills retention and innovation across the supply chain. The evidence heard by the Committee from Scotland …

Accepted

#2 — Major rail programmes require steady, sequenced, and clearly communicated investment spending.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: Even major programmes which should be providing a pipeline of large-scale work far into the future have previously been subject to radical changes of scope and timetable. The January 2026 announcement about Northern Powerhouse Rail brings great expectations—but at present, …

Gov response: The Government recognises the Committee’s concern that instability in rail investment can increase costs and reduce efficiency. Sudden and unexpected changes in scope or sequencing can have real impacts on the supply chain and on …

Not Accepted

#1 — Uncertain and uneven rail investment cycles weaken the UK rail industry sector.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The UK rail network is a core national asset, supporting its own industrial ecosystem and underpinning broader economic growth and employment. The message from the rail industry has been clear: investment in that asset has too often been characterised by …

Gov response: Fifth Special Report of Session 2024–26 HC 1852 Transport Committee The Transport Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for Transport and its associated …

Not Accepted

#17 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: As stated in our ‘Trains fit for the future?’ report, we recommend that the Department for Transport publish a long-term strategy for decarbonising the rail network as a matter of priority. This should include a vision for what proportion of …

Gov response: The Government partially agrees with the recommendation. In the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, the Government has committed to delivering a net zero rail network by 2050, with sustained carbon reductions in rail along the way. The …

Partially Accepted

#28 — Lack of detailed railway mobile coverage data hinders understanding of challenges

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department told us that it lacks sufficiently detailed data of coverage across the railways. To understand the coverage challenges along different stretches of track, it needs data for each metre. In 2020, the National Infrastructure Commission recommended that Ofcom …

Gov response: 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Spring 2025 6.2 The department has asked Ofcom to report on the availability of mobile coverage on the rail network in its annual Connected …

Accepted

#9 —

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: While we welcome the positive working relationship between the Welsh and UK governments on rail infrastructure projects, we are concerned that the UK Government’s Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) is too slow and hampers, rather than helps, the evaluation of …

Gov response: The UK Government agrees with these recommendations in part. Together with their industry partners in Wales, DfT has undertaken a review of the governance arrangements applicable to the development and delivery of railway enhancements. The …

Not Addressed

#4 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We are concerned that TfL and the Department do not have a plan to maximise the long-term, wider economic benefits of Crossrail. When open, the Elizabeth line should increase capacity in central London by around 10%, reduce journey times, improve …

Gov response: agree with the Committee’s conclusion. The department has a track record of delivering savings; the underlying cost of the Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) managed element of the Equipment Plan has reduced by £5.4 billion …

Under Consideration

#3 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: It is not clear to passengers and businesses when the Elizabeth line will open or what services will be available. The Elizabeth line services will open in stages. Services have been running on the eastern and western ends of the …

Gov response: agree with the Committee’s conclusion. The department recognises the importance of managing supplier performance including the apportionment of financial and programme risk. CAAS (Cost Assurance & Analysis Service) Approvals Team help define specific estimating and …

Under Consideration

#10 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: A full assessment of the levelling up impact of the various NPR and HS2 Eastern leg options does not appear to have been carried out to date. The Government must ensure that the impact of NPR decisions on Bradford in …

Gov response: The Government notes this recommendation. The IRP confirmed HS2 services between Birmingham and central Nottingham, via East Midlands Parkway. This would provide greater connectivity between the East and West Midlands than the original Midlands Rail …

Under Consideration

#7 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The Government’s levelling up agenda commits it to ending geographical inequality in the UK. However, by underserving the rail needs of the North of England it is letting down those who require change the most. Upgrading lines will undoubtedly bring …

Gov response: The Government accepts this recommendation, subject to the future conclusions of the HS2 to Leeds Study. Previous development work at Leeds as part of NPR, as well as work by Network Rail, has identified the …

Accepted

#6 — Develop plan for frequent collection and publication of UK rail network coverage data.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Progress in improving connectivity on UK railways has been hampered by a lack of up-to-date coverage data. Mobile connectivity along major rail routes remains poor and passengers can often struggle to make calls, stream videos or work online. Improving rail …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. the rail network in its annual Connected Nations report. To this end, the department asked Ofcom to investigate the feasibility of using in-carriage scanners and crowdsourced data to …

Accepted

#20 —

Scottish Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Government should set out the concrete steps it is taking to address this imbalance and to ensure Scotland can access the full benefits of the Local Power Plan, including grid connection. (Recommendation, Paragraph 116)

Response Pending

#1 —

Scottish Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Clean Power by 2030 target is extremely ambitious, and we would suggest the Government must use all the levers it possesses if it is to achieve it. Maintaining public confidence and rebuilding political consensus around the pace, cost and …

Response Pending

#13 —

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Williams-Shapps review said that the UK Government wishes to establish a new working agreement between Great British Railways (GBR) and Transport for Wales. We believe that the Wales Rail Board we have recommended would be the correct setting in …

Gov response: DfT recognises the potential benefits identified by the Committee of a dedicated forum to develop a shared vision and a prioritised set of proposals for rail infrastructure improvement and investment to deliver improvements for passengers …

Under Consideration

#1 —

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: There is a strong environmental and economic case for substantially enhancing the rail infrastructure that serves Wales, and the passenger experience of slow services and inadequate stations only underlines the need for an upgraded network. The South East Wales Transport …

Gov response: The UK Government notes this recommendation. The intervention in the South Wales Relief Lines is currently being worked upon by Network Rail at Outline Business Case stage. The remit has been developed to ensure alignment …

Not Addressed

#15 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Once the central section opens, commuters must still change to other Elizabeth line services to continue their journeys on the eastern and western ends. The opening of full east-west services must align with national rail timetable changes which take place …

Gov response: 3.3 All external communication is clear that the opening window for the Elizabeth line continues to be the first half of 2022. This marks the point at which the central tunnel opens to passengers from …

Not Addressed

#14 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Elizabeth line services will open in stages as different part of the line are completed. Services have been running on the eastern and western ends of the line (under the brand name ‘TfL Rail’) since June 2017 and May …

Gov response: 3.3 All external communication is clear that the opening window for the Elizabeth line continues to be the first half of 2022. This marks the point at which the central tunnel opens to passengers from …

Not Addressed

#9 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The potential of Bradford as an engine room of the Northern Powerhouse may be squandered if it is not given opportunities to thrive through better connectivity. Direct high speed connections would give the city access to a much broader pool …

Gov response: The Government notes this recommendation and has continued to engage with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Manchester City Council (MCC). An underground station would significantly add to the cost of the Crewe to Manchester …

Under Consideration

#8 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The Government must remain open to the possibility that this thorough reassessment of the evidence base, taking full account of the impact on levelling up communities in the North and Midlands, may show that Options 2 or 3 for Northern …

Gov response: The Government accepts this recommendation. The Government recognises the impact that rail improvements could have on helping Bradford to level up. The IRP committed to improving journey times to as low as 12 minutes between …

Accepted

#29 — Network Rail's Project Reach to improve railway connectivity experiencing significant delays

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department told us that Network Rail, and in turn therefore the Department for Transport and its accounting officer, are responsible for the business case for improving connectivity on the railways. Owing to the infrastructure required, the case for improving …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Spring 2025 6.2 The department has asked Ofcom to report on the availability of mobile coverage on the rail network in its annual Connected Nations …

Accepted

#19 —

Scottish Affairs Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the Government’s ambition to accelerate community and locally owned clean energy through the Local Power Plan, delivered jointly with Great British Energy. However, it is disappointing that Scotland is disproportionately disadvantaged from benefitting from the Plan by its …

Response Pending

#6 —

Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: There are technical reasons why 5G will not be the silver bullet for delivering gigabit connectivity to rural areas but this will be exacerbated if the roll-out of 5G follows the same commercially-driven pattern as previous generations of mobile technology. …

Gov response: The Government remains focused on the UK becoming a world leader in 5G mobile technology, and for consumers and businesses across the UK to see the benefits of 5G as fast as possible. The Secretary …

Under Consideration

#4 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that the Department for Transport publishes a long-term strategy for decarbonising the rail network as a matter of priority. This should include a vision for what proportion of the future network will use electrification, battery and hydrogen. That …

Gov response: The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. The Department is developing a TDP and a Rail Environment Policy (REP) document. Taken together, these will set the Government’s long-term strategic direction for decarbonising the railway between …

Under Consideration

#3 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: While we recognise the immediate challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, we are concerned about the frequent delays to the publication of the Department’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan and the Rail Reform White Paper based on the Williams Review. These …

Gov response: The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. The Department is developing a TDP and a Rail Environment Policy (REP) document. Taken together, these will set the Government’s long-term strategic direction for decarbonising the railway between …

Under Consideration

#16 —

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The development of the HS2 programme in England could yield direct benefits to Welsh rail passengers if it is accompanied by enhancements to the North Wales mainline, including the upgrades at Chester and Crewe stations which will be required for …

Gov response: The UK Government notes this recommendation. DfT are working with Network Rail on developing an Outline Business Case for a scheme of journey time improvement on the North Wales Coast Main Line. This intervention proposes …

Not Addressed

#8 —

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: A number of witnesses to our inquiry suggested that a more joined-up and clearer approach to Wales’s infrastructure needs was required in order to unlock investment. We therefore recommend that the UK Government should establish a Wales Rail Board, consisting …

Gov response: The UK Government agrees with these recommendations in part. Together with their industry partners in Wales, DfT has undertaken a review of the governance arrangements applicable to the development and delivery of railway enhancements. The …

Not Addressed

#7 —

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Bringing forward new proposals for greater connectivity between Swansea-Cardiff- Bristol, which would include completing electrification on the mainline between Cardiff and Swansea and a Swansea Bay Metro to integrate the public transport network westwards to Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire and feed …

Gov response: The UK Government notes these recommendations, although agrees that electrification will play an important role in our programme to achieve our net zero 2050 target (see the response to Recommendation 5). Future decisions on electrification …

Not Addressed

#4 —

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Union Connectivity Review represents a significant opportunity to establish priorities for rail infrastructure which will not only support economic development and decarbonisation in Wales, but improve the experience of those passengers for whom cross-border travel is simply local commuting. …

Gov response: In response to the UCR’s interim report, the UK Government made available £20m for a new Union Connectivity Development Fund so that development work could be started on some of the most promising union connectivity …

Under Consideration

#3 —

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: A number of potential infrastructure upgrades suggested by witnesses to our inquiry are cross-border in nature, reflecting the relatively short distance between key urban areas such as Cardiff and Bristol in South Wales and Wrexham and Merseyside in the North …

Gov response: The UK Government notes these recommendations. The interim report of Sir Peter Hendy’s independent Union Connectivity Review (UCR) was published in March 2021. From the work undertaken to that point, some of the key concerns …

Not Addressed

#2 —

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Improving transport infrastructure within Wales must be a priority and should focus on how infrastructure initiatives can remedy deprivation, boost the Welsh economy and contribute to meeting decarbonisation targets. Enhancements should include a focus on improving connectivity within Wales, such …

Gov response: The UK Government notes these recommendations. The interim report of Sir Peter Hendy’s independent Union Connectivity Review (UCR) was published in March 2021. From the work undertaken to that point, some of the key concerns …

Not Addressed

#21 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: Journey time reductions—albeit not to the same degree as promised by previous plans—are a headline benefit of the IRP. We received detailed evidence that cast doubt on the plausibility of the times achievable under the new plans. We ask the …

Gov response: The Government partially accepts these recommendations. It has already published work by Mott MacDonald into the Strategic Alternatives to High Speed 2 Phase 2b, which includes an independent assessment of outputs for different alternatives on …

Partially Accepted