EEH questions rail-bus laws

England’s Economic Heartland (EEH) has urged the Williams Review into the railway to examine the extent to which competition laws prevent rail franchise bidders which run local bus services from better integrating them with rail service.

In its initial submission to the review, the EEH also said: ■ Investment in new rail infrastructure and services should be linked with planned growth, ahead of a need to enable more sustainable travel. ■ Proposals for devolution based on historic radial routes from London run a “severe risk” of perpetuating a London-centric system. ■ The state should be prepared to invest in rail freight on the basis of the wider public good derived from it.