On the anniversary today of the Government’s Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) being published, the Railway Industry Association is calling for rail projects to be announced and accelerated by the Autumn Spending Review.
The Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP confirmed in a recent Parliamentary Question that the list of projects would be updated and republished annually, with the next update to be issued after the Spending Review. It is understood that the pipeline now includes over 80 projects at different stages of development.
Darren Caplan, chief executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: “In such uncertain and difficult economic times, it is vital that rail businesses have visibility of which railway projects are coming up and what Government plans there are to improve the rail network.
“That is why the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, a £10bn list of more than 80 rail projects, is so important – its regular publication can help businesses plan and invest, ensuring the railway industry is able to deliver effectively, both supporting the Treasury’s quest for budget efficiency and the Government’s overall “Build Back Better” agenda.
“We welcome the recent commitment in Parliament by the Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris to publish the list annually, and now look forward to hearing more about specific rail projects when details are published around the Spending Review due this Autumn.”
