Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
7th Report - Rail investment pipelines: ending boom and bust
Transport Committee
HC 575
Published 10 February 2026
Recommendations
7
Acknowledged
Commission independent review of Control Period 7 and spend volatility to improve future funding.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government commission an independent review of the beginning of Control Period 7 in comparison to the beginning of previous Control Periods. The review should also survey the volatility of spend within Control Periods, identify whether this …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees that any pipeline must distinguish between funded commitments and earlier-stage proposals, and states that funding is normally committed only to the next stage of development.
Department for Transport
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9
Accepted
Revamp and annually republish the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, reflecting all government decisions.
Recommendation
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. (Recommendation, Paragraph 67)
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees to a Long-Term Rail Strategy (LTRS) and commits to laying a Written Ministerial Statement as well as a copy of the LTRS in the library of both Houses to ensure parliamentarians can scrutinise the strategy and any revisions made to it.
Department for Transport
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11
Acknowledged
Require the RNEP to clearly set out committed funding and provide 5-year rolling certainty.
Recommendation
The RNEP should set out clearly how much funding has been committed, from what sources, and for the purpose of reaching which milestones. It should provide certainty at least five years into the future on a rolling basis, with an …
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Government Response Summary
The government recognises the importance of devolved and regional partners in shaping and delivering rail investment and states that the RNEP is designed to allow schemes to progress independently with potential to enter the national portfolio at any stage.
Department for Transport
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12
Accepted in Part
Require a high viability bar for RNEP projects and regular review by key bodies.
Recommendation
The RNEP should not become an unfunded wishlist: there must be a high bar of viability for projects to be included, and a commensurately high bar for any subsequent decision to remove them from the pipeline. The inclusion and status …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees any pipeline must clearly distinguish between funded commitments and earlier-stage proposals. They recognize the Committee's interest in greater clarity on the level and source of funding committed to individual schemes and will set out scheme-level funding allocations.
Department for Transport
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13
Accepted in Part
Implement ORR's review findings and identify RNEP projects suitable for private sector investment.
Recommendation
The RNEP should also be a tool for promoting rail infrastructure investment from sources other than central government. We urge the Government to implement the findings of the Office of Rail and Road’s review of the Rail Network Investment Framework, …
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Government Response Summary
The government supports private investment in rail where it delivers value for money, but will signal opportunities through pipeline publications and structured market engagement rather than using the RNEP as a general prospectus.
Department for Transport
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14
Accepted in Part
Identify regional schemes in the RNEP and include all devolved authority enhancement projects.
Recommendation
The RNEP should also identify those schemes which are most appropriate for funding and delivery at a regional level, such as those where alignment with national objectives is not sufficient to warrant full central government funding but which would be …
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Government Response Summary
The Enhancements Portfolio and the associated pipeline publications will provide visibility of regionally led and co-funded schemes where they affect the national network, supporting alignment with national objectives and full transparency for industry.
Department for Transport
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15
Accepted in Part
Promptly reflect outcomes of Spending Reviews and government announcements in RNEP updates.
Recommendation
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 51 information in the format or detail necessary to …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the importance of transparency and forward visibility, stating they are moving towards more regular, structured, and accessible publication of the enhancements portfolio; they will set out a potential pipeline that will provide an indicative view of strategically aligned schemes.
Department for Transport
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16
Acknowledged
Clarify relationship between UK Infrastructure Pipeline and RNEP for consistent industry information.
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees that transparency is important and the industry benefits from clear forward visibility and is moving towards more regular, structured and accessible publication of the enhancements portfolio, outlining multiple mechanisms to provide certainty and visibility.
Department for Transport
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18
Accepted
Publish an urgent rolling stock strategy, aligned with pipelines and developed with industry.
Recommendation
We welcome the Government’s commitment to publishing a rolling stock strategy in 2026: this work is urgent. The strategy must be clearly aligned with the pipeline of both major projects and enhancements, so that decisions about track and about the …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the Committee’s emphasis on integration and is already underway with operators and delivery partners on upcoming fleet replacement programmes to ensure that infrastructure requirements are considered from the outset; the Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Whole System Strategy will set out its vision.
Department for Transport
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19
Accepted
Define standard train families for the national network to limit rolling stock proliferation.
Recommendation
The Department should set out in the Long Term Rail Strategy a clear policy statement on its intention to limit the proliferation of rolling stock types. Within two years, the Department and Great British Railways should define a small number …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees 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 and 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.
Department for Transport
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22
Accepted
Establish a Long Term Rail Strategy to provide certainty for investment priorities.
Recommendation
We welcome the provision made in the Railways Bill for a Long Term Rail Strategy: it is long past time that such a vision is set out for the railways. The Strategy must provide a basis for consensus and certainty …
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Government Response Summary
The Government agrees that there should be a Long-Term Rail Strategy (LTRS) which sets out a clear and coherent framework for the role of rail over the next 30 years. The Government will commit to laying a Written Ministerial Statement as well as a copy of the LTRS in the library of both Houses to ensure parliamentarians can scrutinise the strategy and any revisions made to it.
Department for Transport
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23
Accepted
Set out clear objectives, commitments, and assessment criteria within the Long Term Rail Strategy.
Recommendation
In order to achieve this: • the Strategy should set out firm objectives on matters of long- term infrastructure policy including electrification, rolling stock, accessibility and capacity; • the Strategy should be the means for setting out commitments to the …
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Government Response Summary
The government will lay a Written Ministerial Statement as well as a copy of the LTRS in the library of both Houses to ensure parliamentarians can scrutinise the strategy and any revisions made to it.
Department for Transport
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25
Acknowledged
Commit successive governments to long-term consensus on rail investment priorities and consistent delivery.
Recommendation
The advent of Great British Railways provides a golden opportunity for decision-makers on the railway to approach investment planning differently. Successive governments must be prepared to commit to reaching a long-term consensus on which investments should be prioritised, and to …
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Government Response Summary
The government welcomes the provision for a Long Term Rail Strategy in the Railways Bill, stating it's long overdue and should provide a basis for consensus and certainty.
Department for Transport
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26
Acknowledged
Require Secretary of State to lay the Long Term Rail Strategy before Parliament, including changes.
Recommendation
The Long Term Rail Strategy guiding Great British Railways needs to have a timescale of at least 30 years to provide the necessary vision for underpinning shorter-term decisions on specific projects and funding. It also needs to be protected from …
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Government Response Summary
The government welcomes the provision for a Long Term Rail Strategy in the Railways Bill, stating it's long overdue and should provide a basis for consensus and certainty.
Department for Transport
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27
Accepted
Clarify Great British Railways' autonomy in enhancements planning and ministerial oversight to prevent micromanagement.
Recommendation
We want Great British Railways to reach its potential for making unified decisions over track and train informed by expertise in railway systems. We expect political leaders to set its strategic direction and hold it accountable for delivery, but micromanagement …
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Government Response Summary
The government states that ministerial oversight of Great British Railways will focus on setting long-term objectives, approving major funding commitments and holding GBR to account for delivery, rather than micromanaging individual scheme decisions.
Department for Transport
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Conclusions (12)
1
Conclusion
Acknowledged
The UK rail network is a core national asset, supporting its own industrial ecosystem and underpinning broader economic growth and employment. The message from the rail industry has been clear: investment in that asset has too often been characterised by cycles of ‘boom and bust’, with uneven and uncertain funding …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the importance of investment stability and reducing volatility in the rail industry, and states that it will strengthen how it communicates and manages the rail investment portfolio by improving the cadence, clarity and consistency of public information.
2
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Even major programmes which should be providing a pipeline of large-scale work far into the future have previously been subject to radical changes of scope and timetable. The January 2026 announcement about Northern Powerhouse Rail brings great expectations—but at present, few confirmed details. The announcement of new investment is hugely …
Government Response Summary
The government recognises the concern that instability in rail investment can increase costs but does not accept rail investment has been characterised by systemic "boom and bust" cycles.
3
Conclusion
Acknowledged
There is a widespread consensus that establishing a smooth and stable pipeline of investment would bring manifold benefits to both the railway and the rail supply industry. With more certainty and visibility of upcoming work, and fewer peaks and troughs, resources could be allocated more effectively, capabilities could be maintained …
Government Response Summary
The Government agrees that electrification remains a key tool in the decarbonisation of rail and that long-term clarity is important for industry confidence. However, the Government does not consider that a fixed route- kilometre target would represent the most effective mechanism.
4
Conclusion
Acknowledged
A steady pipeline would support jobs at all levels of the supply chain, facilitate workforce planning, help industry address skills shortages and foster innovation. Success stories from Scotland, where there has been greater certainty of future workload, show the relationship between steady investment and industry’s ability to invest in its …
Government Response Summary
The Government agrees with the Committee’s emphasis on integration and is already working with operators and delivery partners on upcoming fleet replacement programmes to ensure that infrastructure requirements are considered from the outset. They also agree that the national train fleet needs to be simplified.
5
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Injection of private sector investment into rail assets, including track and other infrastructure, has been hindered by the lack of a clear, credible pipeline of projects and a failure by Government to identify where such investment would be welcomed and could best contribute. There is also a need for a …
Government Response Summary
The Government agrees that transparency is important and that industry benefits from clear forward visibility. Rather than relying on infrequent static documents, the Government is moving towards more regular, structured and accessible publication of the enhancements portfolio.
6
Conclusion
Acknowledged
The five-year funding settlement provided through the Control Period process, which is set to be continued through Funding Period Reviews, gives a reasonable degree of certainty and visibility of spend on operations, maintenance and renewals. Nonetheless, the mechanism could be improved. Spending profiles for particular categories of work can be …
Government Response Summary
The Government is clear that Spending Review settlements do not constitute project-by-project approvals. Enhancements funding is deliberately provided at portfolio level through Spending Reviews, following detailed bids informed by strategic priorities and robust scheme forecasts.
8
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) was a sound idea, undermined by a chronic lack of updates and by poor decisions to add immature or unfunded projects to the list. If these weaknesses were 50 addressed, it could form the basis of mature, informed communication with the rail sector and …
Government Response Summary
The Government agrees that smoothing workload is important but does not agree that making changes to the funding method is the right solution. Government agrees that the pipeline must clearly distinguish between funded commitments and earlier-stage proposals but does not support publishing extended indicative pipelines that imply funding commitment and instead will use a clearly defined potential pipeline that will provide directional visibility without undermining fiscal credibility.
10
Conclusion
Acknowledged
The delay or withdrawal of immature schemes is disruptive for industry and disappointing for communities who expected to benefit from new or upgraded facilities and services. It erodes confidence in the ability of the system to prioritise the right projects, identify what is viable, match it to supply chain capability, …
Government Response Summary
The Government agrees that credible visibility is essential for both the supply chain and private investors, and recognises the increasing role of Devolved Administrations and local partners.
17
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
The pattern of boom and bust has been especially apparent in rolling stock investment. There is widespread agreement, including from the Government, that the absence of a long-term rolling stock strategy, aligned to a similar strategy for infrastructure, has resulted in damaging missed opportunities and fluctuations in orders over many …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees that the experience of Control Period transitions should be examined, including the start of CP7 and the potential for volatility within Control Periods so that lessons can be learned to strengthen mobilisation, sequencing and improve delivery for the supply chain but does not agree that this requires commissioning and publishing an independent review in advance of the establishment of Great British Railways; this work can be taken forward through existing assurance and regulatory processes to inform GBR and future Funding Period arrangements.
20
Conclusion
Accepted
A consistent strategic vision of what the railway is for and how it will contribute to the wider priorities of Government is fundamental to achieving stable investment pipelines. Successive governments have failed to articulate what they want the railway network to achieve as a core national asset and, therefore, how …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to create a Long-Term Rail Strategy (LTRS) setting out a framework for rail over the next 30 years, which will be subject to stakeholder engagement and consultation. The government will also lay a Written Ministerial Statement and a copy of the LTRS in the library of both Houses.
21
Conclusion
Accepted
We found little appetite during our inquiry for a detailed, confirmed pipeline of railway projects lasting decades into the future; this would be unrealistic. What is needed instead is a consistent strategic vision that predictably informs shorter-term planning, and which provides a reliable guide to strategic investment decisions for both …
Government Response Summary
The government will lay a Written Ministerial Statement as well as a copy of the LTRS in the library of both Houses to ensure parliamentarians can scrutinise the strategy and any revisions made to it.
24
Conclusion
Acknowledged
We welcome the Government’s recognition that industry fragmentation has contributed to siloed decision-making and misaligned incentives between stakeholders, and its commitment to establishing a whole- system organisation, Great British Railways, to tackle this. We look forward to holding GBR and Ministers accountable for delivering on the promise of better and …
Government Response Summary
The government welcomes the provision for a Long Term Rail Strategy in the Railways Bill, stating it's long overdue and should provide a basis for consensus and certainty.