Recommendation 4

HM Government Acknowledged

The Government agrees with the Committee’s emphasis on integration. Fragmentation of planning and procurement has historically contributed to inefficiencies and misalignment between infrastructure capability and rolling stock deployment. We are, therefore, not waiting for reform to complete before taking steps to ensure that these decisions are considered together rather than sequentially. Work is already underway with operators and delivery partners on upcoming fleet replacement programmes to ensure that infrastructure requirements are considered from the outset. We agree that the national train fleet needs to be simplified to help achieve better value for money, easier redeployment of fleet around the network and provide a more consistent and high-quality experience for passengers. The Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Whole System Strategy will set out our vision for how this could be achieved as fleets get replaced and refurbished over time. We have a bold vision for a more accessible and welcoming railway and are already working with NR on the infrastructure implications if all new trains were built to be level with the platform, as can be seen on some greater Anglia services. The establishment of GBR will further embed this integration by consolidating strategic planning functions within a single guiding framework, reducing the risk of siloed decision-making and enhancing system-wide efficiency and effectiveness. This integrated approach is expected to reduce whole-life costs, avoid stranded assets and give suppliers greater confidence in future demand. The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline: Transparency and Publication Committee recommendations: The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline should be revamped and updated, taking account of all the decisions made by the Government on enhancements since July 2024. It should then be revised and re-published at least annually. Government response: Partially agree The 2025 Spending Review has provided welcome clarity on what inherited enhancements the Department is proceeding with and those which it has decided to pause. Such announcements do not, however, provide information in the format or detail necessary to populate a pipeline which can be traced clearly over time and which provides consistency of information to the rail sector. The outcomes of Spending Reviews, fiscal events and other Government announcements, insofar as they affect railway enhancements, should be reflected promptly in updates of the RNEP. Government response: Partially agree While we recognise the fledging status of the UK Infrastructure Pipeline, we are unconvinced of its current usefulness to stakeholders in the rail industry because of its lack of detail at the necessary scale. We ask the Department for Transport to set out how the UK Infrastructure Pipeline will relate to the RNEP, the purpose of each, and where industry should look for the latest and most detailed information. Wherever there are overlapping sources of information, care is needed to ensure that these are congruent, complementary and up to date. Government response: Agree Summary position: The Government agrees on the importance of transparency, clarity and timely communication, but does not consider that annual re-publication of a static RNEP document is the most effective mechanism of providing this. Instead, the Government is strengthening visibility through the National Infrastructure Pipeline, which will work in combination with the Enhancements Delivery Plan and milestone announcements, with clear roles for each.