Recommendation 5

We are disappointed at the lack of progress in agreeing a specific and funded plan for the electrification required to achieve the government’s own net zero targets. Electrification of the network is the key mechanism for delivering rail decarbonisation. It will require a significant level of investment (estimated between £18 billion and £26 billion, 2020 prices) and the Department recognises that a steady long-term plan for electrification is fundamental to achieve net zero commitments efficiently. However, the Department’s track record on rail electrification projects reflects in its own words a “feast or famine” approach, which has directly caused boom and bust problems in the supply chain for the SMEs involved in the delivery of these projects and uncertainty for procurement of rolling stock. We reiterate the Transport Committee’s call for a long-term plan for rail, including a strategy for decarbonisation and electrification. The Department has promised a long-term plan but lacks urgency in its delivery, and its reliance on the delayed all-mode Transport Decarbonisation Plan is unsatisfactory. Recommendation: In its December letter to the Committee, the Department should set out how it will work with others to deliver the electrification required to meet net zero commitments over the long term, and how it plans to fund a stable programme of investment.