Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 22
22
The Department acknowledged that long-term, strategic direction on electrification is needed to provide market certainty...
Conclusion
The Department acknowledged that long-term, strategic direction on electrification is needed to provide market certainty for operators, rolling stock companies and the procurement of trains that will be able to operate on the network and to drive innovation. It also recognised that its erratic approach had resulted in “some extremely inefficient outcomes in terms of cost”.56 Written evidence we received highlighted that the Department’s piecemeal approach to electrification projects to date has caused serious boom and bust problems in the supply chain and for SMEs involved in electrification projects. A consistent and rolling programme of electrification projects would help retain the skills and capability required for such projects and help drive down costs overall.57 Network Rail’s efficiencies
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.