UK: Channel Tunnel to London high speed line concessionaire HS1 Ltd has published a nine-point manifesto setting out policy interventions that it says the next government needs to make ‘to ensure the UK’s rail system is fit for the future’.
These are to:
- capitalise on the shift in public attitudes towards environmentally friendly travel by financially supporting trials for sustainability-focused schemes such as ‘green miles’ rewards for frequent travellers;
- improve connectivity between transport modes, including requirements for local authorities to work closely with station owners and the provision of funding for additional bike spaces and electric vehicle charging points;
- incentivise rail use through better ticketing which reflects changed travel habits, including accelerating pay-as-you-go, providing assurances around maximum fares and incentivising season ticket purchases. HS1 says it ‘would be happy to act as a trial route for this’;
- enable frictionless travel between the UK and continental Europe and alleviate risks of disruption associated with the EU Entry/Exit Scheme;
- support new international routes and operators, by removing potential barriers to the introduction of new routes and ensuring prospective new operators are not stymied by slow regulatory processes or a lack of infrastructure;
- reintroduce the VAT Retail Export Scheme, to help boost international tourism to the UK;
- work with operators to increase passenger numbers, rather than focusing on reducing costs;
- support the recovery of domestic services by ensuring the long-term viability of operators;
- provide the HS1 line with ‘greater regulatory innovation’ as a test bed for showcasing how the rail network can help itself through more freedom to innovate, including allowing HS1 Ltd greater opportunity to use of land in and around the route.
‘With the rail sector being integral to boosting growth across the UK and achieving the UK’s net zero transport objectives, it is absolutely fundamental the next government prioritises the delivery of support to the rail sector that helps support its growth’, said HS1 Ltd CEO Dyan Perry on October 10.
‘Through our manifesto launched today, we have set out the key policies the government must adopt to provide the necessary support to the rail sector, to help it recapture growth once again.’
