Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 5
5
We are disappointed at the lack of progress in agreeing a specific and funded plan...
Recommendation
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.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2021 5.2 The government will write to the Committee in December 2021. In July 2021, the government published the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, which outlines how it will achieve net zero carbon emissions across all modes of transport, together with a Rail Environment Policy Statement. These documents include a commitment to deliver an ambitious, sustainable, and cost-effective programme of electrification, guided by Network Rail’s Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy (TDNS). TDNS recommends electrifying circa 85% of the remaining unelectrified network and deploying battery and hydrogen trains on the remaining 15%. 5.3 In the three years to 2021, almost 700 track miles were electrified in England and Wales. The department will take forward new electrification schemes through the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP), ensuring lessons from previous schemes are learned and individual projects deliver value for money. The RNEP will continue to allow the department to use this government’s significant investment in rail infrastructure to take forward priorities such as decarbonisation. By managing that funding as a portfolio, DfT can ensure that investment is made in the schemes that will have the greatest impact. 5.4 The William-Shapps Plan for Rail promises to bring together responsibility for the whole system under a single organisation. GBR will be responsible for identifying the right technology for the right part of the network, delivering the necessary infrastructure, and commissioning the right train services, ensuring the decarbonisation target is met by 2050. DfT’s sustained electrification programme will present opportunities to develop supply chain capacity and support long-term employment opportunities.