Policy
Last year’s scrapping of the HS2 northern leg to Manchester and the publication of Network North sent shockwaves through the rail industry. In addition to concerns about levelling up, many now feel that there’s no real strategic plan for the railways.
There’s been much debate recently about whether Westminster politicians have lost interest in the railways.
The reallocation of some of the HS2 funding towards roads, in the Network North document, provided further evidence to fuel the debate.
One of the problems is that politicians have found it difficult to effect change in the timescales they want, in terms of major projects, workforce reform and issues such as simplifying tickets and fares.
Some feel that the current generation of politicians (of all parties) are unwilling to sign up to a long-term plan - like those of other European countries, or even London.
North of the border, the Sclottish Government has long-term plans for electrification - and the provision of modern rolling stock to cater for growth.
In Wales, the strategy is about multi-modal and shifting motorists to public transport with highly effective investments, particularly in the valleys.
But following the announcement at last October’s Conservative Party conference of the scrapping of the HS2 route to Manchester, there now seems to be a distinct lack of any kind of long-term strategy for the railways in England.
Two years ago, many applauded the publication of the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP), billed by ministers as the “largest and most
ambitious government programme of investment ever in the railways”.
It outlined a £96 billion strategy of rail construction and upgrades for the Midlands and the North. It also brought with it a long term 30-year plan for the railways, something that many had been calling for.
“After decades of underinvestment,” the document stated, the schemes contained in the IRP would “overhaul and modernise rail connections across both regions, and help
Subscribe at greatmagazines.co.uk/rail-mag honour this government’s most important pledge: to level up our country”.
At the time, then-Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands marks a new beginning for the railway network from London to Newcastle, and from Birmingham to Leeds, as we Build Back Better from the pandemic.” But where is that pledge now?
Levelling up seems to be a phrase that politicians and others don’t seem to be
