Calls for Government to focus more on small-scale projects and rolling stock plan

There was a mixed response to the Chancellor’s Spending Review from across the industry.

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport UK welcomed the investment in tram networks and the government’s plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail, but also called on the government to focus on smaller projects that could help logistics and freight.

Director of Policy and Communications Daniel Parker-Klein said: “We believe that the government should focus spending on small-scale projects within logistics and transport, to ensure the UK stays competitive on the international stage and to support changing and increasing pressure on supply chains

“For example, electrifying just three miles of railway from London Gateway - the UK’s fastest-growing container port - at a cost of less than £10 million would allow trains to be hauled by electric locomotives all the way to Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff and Glasgow.”

Local authorities and sub-national transport bodies were pleased with the Chancellor’s plans, after £15.6 billion was pledged for regional transport schemes.

This included a £1.75bn commitment for the Midlands Rail Hub, with Midlands Connect Chief Executive Maria Machancoses remarking that the investment would “deliver a step-change for passengers".

However, Shadow Rail Minister Jerome Mayhew said the country needed more from the Transport Secretary, telling RAIL: “We need better from Heidi Alexander and her team.

“When it came to transport in the Chancellor’s Spending Review, it was all smoke and mirrors. She ‘announced’ £2.1bn for West Yorkshire mass transit. She has simply repackaged the 2023 Network North policy of the last government - it’s exactly the same money.”

As part of the announcement, Reeves said the government would be unveiling its ten-year Infrastructure Strategy over the coming weeks, outlining its plans for investment in Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) as well as other national projects.

This was welcomed by Transport for the North Chief Executive Martin Tugwell, who said: “The economy of the North is constrained by its creaking Victorian rail infrastructure. Investment in new rail capacity is long overdue to unlock the region’s growth potential.”

But Mayhew argued that there was a lack of detail on NPR, and specifically the Liverpool to Manchester Railway, adding: “On other areas it looks like the Department for Transport has lost an internal battle with the Treasury.

“Government sources have been briefing for weeks that the Chancellor would announce support for the Liverpool-Manchester Railway, and now - silence,” he told RAIL.

Siemens Mobility’s Joint Chief Executive Officer and Head of Rail Infrastructure Rob Morris told RAIL that he “had cautious confidence" regarding the Spending Review.

“It has the potential to be a real boost to the industry. But sentiments need to be converted into action,” he said.

However, Morris warned that any infrastructure strategy needed to include a plan for rolling stock: “We can only harness that potential if both the infrastructure and rolling strategies are one.”