UK: The Railway Industry Association has found a ‘mixed picture’ when reviewing the government’s progress in meeting the rail decarbonisation recommendations made in the House of Commons Transport Committee’s Trains fit for the future? report which was published in March last year.
Out of the 12 key recommendations, RIA says the government has made good progress on three, limited progress on four and no progress on five.
Good progress includes committing to Midland Main Line, Transpennine Route Upgrade and Wigan – Bolton electrification in the Integrated Rail Plan published last year.
Not publishing a full electrification programme or details of other schemes, such as those needed for freight, is cited as a lack of progress.
RIA also reiterates its regular call for the government to publish an updated version of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline.
RIA Chief Executive Darren Caplan said ‘there still needs to be a much more ambitious programme to electrify the railways, starting now if the government is to hit its own electrification targets by 2050; and significantly more progress on rolling out battery and hydrogen trains, to build on investment in these technologies from the private sector’.
