Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
7th Report - Rail investment pipelines: ending boom and bust
Transport Committee
HC 575
Published 10 February 2026
Recommendations
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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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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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 (2)
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.