One Year On: On anniversary of Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline first being published, railway industry calls for specific projects to be announced this Autumn

16 October 2020

On the anniversary today of the Government’s Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) being published, the Railway Industry Association is calling for rail projects to be announced and accelerated by the Autumn Spending Review.
 
The Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP confirmed in a recent Parliamentary Question that the list of projects would be updated and republished annually, with the next update to be issued after the Spending Review. It is understood that the pipeline now includes over 80 projects at different stages of development.  
 
Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: “In such uncertain and difficult economic times, it is vital that rail businesses have visibility of which railway projects are coming up and what Government plans there are to improve the rail network. That is why the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, a £10bn list of more than 80 rail projects, is so important – its regular publication can help businesses plan and invest, ensuring the railway industry is able to deliver effectively, both supporting the Treasury’s quest for budget efficiency and the Government’s overall “Build Back Better” agenda.
 
“We welcome the recent commitment in Parliament by the Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris to publish the list annually, and now look forward to hearing more about specific rail projects when details are published around the Spending Review due this Autumn.”

Notes to Editors

 

  1. The Rail Minister confirmed the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline would be published after the Spending Review in response to a Parliamentary Question here

  2. The RNEP is a list of more than 80 enhancement projects, at various stages of development, being considered by the Government for the UK rail network. The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline was last published on 16 October 2019 – the list can be found here

  3.  The Rail Minister confirmed in a recent interview in Rail Technology Magazine that the £10bn RNEP contains more than 80 projects.

  4. 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 300+ companies in membership in a sector that contributes £36 billion in economic growth and £11 billion in tax revenue each year, as well as employing 600,000 people—more than the workforce of Birmingham. It is also a vital industry for the UK’s economic recovery, supporting green investment and jobs in towns and communities across the UK. 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). RIA works to promote the importance of the rail system to UK plc, to help export UK expertise around the globe and to share best practice and innovation across the industry.