East West Rail illustrates a need to “pick up the pace”

THE Government must continue with all phases of the delivery plan for the Oxford-Cambridge East West Rail scheme, warns the National Infrastructure Commission.

In its annual review of government progress on infrastructure, the official independent adviser warns that the Government is “at risk of failing to deliver the aims of its National Infrastructure Strategy unless it picks up the pace with detailed policy design and implementation”.

It also says that the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) has “provided clarity” with a long-term plan for rail in the North and Midlands, by “adopting the adaptive approach” recommended by the NIC.

“Although the Government remains committed to eastwest rail links to support the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford Arc, further commitment to the Arc remains limited,” it concludes.

“East West Rail presents a major growth opportunity for the Arc and government must continue with all phases of the delivery plan. Levelling up should not mean government leaving growth opportunities on the table.”

Established in 2015 as an executive agency of the Treasury, to provide government with impartial and expert advice on major long-term infrastructure challenges, the NIC is chaired by former Network Rail CEO Sir John Armitt CBE. Its remit covers transport, digital, energy, flood resilience, water and waste.

While acknowledging the Government’s pledge to increase investment with a near-£100 billion commitment over the next three years, Armitt says: “It is also our role to sound a warning when we think progress is insufficient towards the goals to which government has committed.

“At a time of significant global volatility, alongside concerns about rising living costs, we appreciate that sticking to a long-term strategy is not easy.

“But it is the only way to address the stubbornly difficult problems. They will not become any easier or cheaper to solve by delaying action. The quicker we tackle them, the quicker society and our environment will reap the benefits.”

Progress on major urban transport upgrades is limited, says the NIC’s review. It concludes: “No long-term funding has been committed to transformational upgrades for priority cities. The Government has confirmed plans to devolve more funding to city regions. The next step is to extend this to other local authorities.”

NIC says that to achieve “tangible improvements to local transport infrastructure in the next eight years”, the Government must prioritise progress in three key areas:

■ Develop a pipeline of mass transit networks for urban centres outside London, beyond the sole commitment for a new mass transit system for West Yorkshire.

■ Fundamental reform for how local transport funding is allocated, with a shift away from competitive bidding between councils for multiple, centrally controlled, short-term funding pots to long-term devolved funding settlements. Local areas should have robust monitoring and evaluation plans for the impact of investments, so devolution is accompanied by accountability.

■ The planned new devolution deals for local areas in England need to be in place much sooner than 2030. Local transport authorities in these areas should receive five-year integrated settlements covering funding for maintenance and upgrades, so they have the planning certainty to develop long-term local infrastructure strategies, supported by clear project pipelines.

This would mirror the important multi-year transport settlements now in place for the city regions, as recommended by the NIC.

NIC says that constraints on transport infrastructure are “holding back many large cities and towns outside London, preventing them from achieving their productivity potential and impacting on quality of life”.

It is preparing the second National Infrastructure Assessment, to be published in the second half of 2023. This will make further recommendations to address the key long-term challenges facing the country’s infrastructure.

■ Dive deeper into the issues surrounding slow progress towards the Government’s 2050 target for net zero carbon emissions in RailReview Q1-2022, see www. railreview.co.uk