RIA North gives qualified welcome to Integrated Rail Plan update, but more detail is required

14 July 2023

RIA North gives a qualified welcome to the publication of the Government’s 13 July response to the Transport Select Committee report on the 2021 Integrated Rail Plan for the North & Midlands (IRP). However, it is a concern that this is the first significant public communication on developing the IRP in over two years and more detail is still required to inform both the public and the railway supply chain.

There are a number of encouraging points in the response:

  • It is positive that the Government is now expecting to complete the Strategic Outline Business Case for Northern Powerhouse Rail later this year. Whilst two years later than Transport for the North intended to complete this work, positively this will include consideration of a range of options, including a new station in Bradford.
  • It is welcome that the Terms of Reference for the study on how to get HS2 trains to Leeds will be published this week. It is also encouraging that both the routes to Leeds and for the Golborne Link – which provides the capacity necessary for HS2 trains to get to and from Scotland – on the West Coast Main Line are safeguarded. It remains the case that only by building HS2 in full, including the Eastern Leg, will the full benefits of the scheme be realised.
  • Additionally, RIA North supports the assurance that in addition to Bradford the stations at Leeds and Manchester will be given further consideration, especially with regard to the potential of land value capture.
Commenting, RIA North Chair, Justin Moss, said: “It is positive to see progress on the Integrated Rail Plan for the North & Midlands, and we are pleased that the UK Government is willing to reconsider the route to Bradford, which suggests that the locally preferred Northern Powerhouse Rail proposals were the right approach for levelling up.

“It is also good news that the Terms of Reference for study into the HS2 route to Leeds will be published imminently, and the plans to get HS2 trains to and from Scotland are being actively pursued.

“However, it is clearly disappointing that it has taken so long for this thinking to be shared – more than two years – and we respectfully urge the Government to be more open with its communications on rail schemes in the future, providing more visibility on the progress of these important investments. Better visibility of the Government’s future planning for rail means not just the railway supply sector benefits – supporting thousands of jobs and billions of pounds of GVA – but also the travelling public and the taxpayer, who will get the best possible value for money as we seek to build the world-class rail network we all want to see in the North of England in the years ahead.”

Notes to Editors

  1. The DfT response can be seen here – The Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands: Government response to the Committee’s Second Report - Transport Committee (parliament.uk)
  2.  The Transport Select Committee’s response can be seen here – HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail: DfT signals it will look again at options in response to Transport Committee - Committees - UK Parliament
  3. About RIA North: RIA North is the voice of the rail supply community in the North of England, representing RIA members across the region. Rail in the North supports £7.7bn in economic growth (GVA), 154,000 jobs and £2.5bn in tax revenue and is an essential industry in delivering the Government's build back better, decarbonisation and levelling-up agendas. www.riagb.org.uk/north
  4. For further details on RIA North's response to the 15 specific Transport Select Committee recommendations, contact RIA North Lead David Clarke at [email protected] and 020 7201 0777 / 07771 672 089
  5. About RIA: The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is the voice of the UK rail supply community. We help to grow a sustainable, high-performing, railway supply industry, and to export UK rail expertise and products. RIA has 350 companies in membership in a sector that contributes £43 billion in economic growth and £14 billion in tax revenue each year, as well as employing 710,000 people. It is also a vital industry for the UK’s economic recovery, supporting green investment and jobs in towns and communities across the UK; for every £1 spent in rail, £2.50 is generated in the wider economy. RIA’s membership is active across the whole of railway supply, covering a diverse range of products and services and including both multi-national companies and SMEs (60% by number). https://www.riagb.org.uk/