9 June 2023
A Centre for London
report (6th June) has revealed that due to a lack of public transport options, people living in Outer London are using their cars for journeys at twice the rate than those in Inner London - 38% of journeys made vs 19%.
Rail is one of the key transport modes for people living in the suburbs, however without increasing the investment in rail services, people will have no option but to resort to their cars. To meet the Net Zero challenge and to provide people with options following the expansion of the ULEZ zone, there must be greater access to reliable, sustainable public transport options.
Rob Cook, Policy Director at the Railway Industry Association, said: “This report shows that if we are serious about helping the 5.4 million people living in outer London get out of their cars and move to greener transport options, then we need urgent investment in London’s railways.
Rail is already one of the greenest forms of transport, contributing just 1.4% of transport emissions despite carrying 10% of all journey kilometres and accounting for under 1% of all UK emissions. Encouraging more people onto our trains will help us achieve Net Zero and help with the Mayor’s ambitions of improving air quality in the capital.
The Railway Industry Association (RIA) welcomes the report's recommendation that the Department for Transport should work with Transport for London to improve the reliability, speed and frequency of services in outer London. By providing a more reliable service, it will become a better option for commuters and encourage them out of their cars and onto the railways.”
Notes to editors
1. The Centre for Cities report can be found
here.
2. 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).
www.riagb.org.uk