Rail Minister Lord Hendy quizzed by Transport Committee on rail investment pipelines
Rail Minister Lord Hendy and Department for Transport officials will appear before MPs in the final evidence session of the Transport Committee’s rail investment pipelines inquiry.
Meeting details
The Committee has been investigating how developing long-term, transparent and sequenced plans – or pipelines – could bring certainty and security to the ecosystem of companies that commission and deliver improvements to the UK’s railways - such as track enhancements, station upgrades, and rolling stock orders.
The session will be a chance for members to ask the Minister about issues raised so far in the inquiry, which has previously heard from Network Rail, industry groups, rolling stock manufacturers, trade union representatives and others.
There are likely to be questions about the importance of developing a long-term strategic plan for the railway and the effect this could have on stable investment and ending the ‘boom and bust’ nature of the rail supply industry.
The Minister could also be asked about the ways in which Great British Railways could oversee a more coherent approach to investment and develop pipelines, and the balance between ensuring certainty and retaining flexibility.
The session will also explore the relationship between a steady investment pipeline and maintaining a skilled workforce and whether the DfT is doing enough to address the skills shortage in the industry.
Following last month’s Spending Review, the Committee may ask witnesses about new rail projects, updates to the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) and the role of private finance in rail investment.
The inquiry was launched last year in light of repeated calls from industry for government support, and following concerns for the future of Alstom’s rolling stock factory in Derby, which shone a light on the insecure ‘boom and bust’ nature of the rail supply industry.