Political stability must be good for rail

GIVEN the shenanigans going on in Westminster over the past few months, it seems that we may be heading, at last, for a period of relative political stability, perhaps for a couple of years, at least until the next election.

Although this magazine is apolitical, we are unapologetically pro-rail. And (as we pointed out in the October issue) our railways are not in a good place right now. With much of the network effectively nationalised, it is more important than ever that clear and decisive leadership from Government is there to help the railway recover from the disastrous effects of the pandemic.

With the DFT defining everything from service levels to the hardness of seats on new rolling stock, a guiding light is needed to help the rail sector overcome numerous hurdles. One of those might be the Government-imposed transition to Great British Railways, though there are already signs of a rethink on this major piece of transport strategy (see Headline News, p10). This year the railway has had no fewer than three transport secretaries and three transport ministers. The latest incumbents have no particular background in, experience of, or stated interest in, railways, though both have excellent track records in finance. Perhaps these are good credentials to have, though we wonder whether rail users and workers will remain front of mind, as they ought to, on impersonal spreadsheet appraisals.

As many new fleets of trains (led by Class 196 – see First Impressions, p12) enter service over the next 12 months, we firmly believe that passenger numbers will rise more quickly than the hugely pessimistic and conservative industry estimates. Service levels will need to rise accordingly. And there needs to be a real push on modal shift, for both passengers and freight. All of that is much more likely to happen with a political leadership that, instead of being consumed by itself, is focused wholeheartedly on the issues that will shape our railways for decades to come.