The Budget rightly recognises the central role rail infrastructure has to play in unlocking growth across the country. Better connections can bring people, businesses and places closer together, but realising those benefits depends on our ability to plan, fund and deliver rail infrastructure effectively and at pace.
The review into rail infrastructure costs is therefore a timely opportunity to look seriously at how projects are designed, procured, sequenced and delivered, and to apply those lessons to future projects. Combined with an updated Infrastructure Pipeline, this will give the supply chain greater certainty to invest, particularly in the people and skills needed to deliver these projects.
The reiterated commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail is positive, and greater fiscal devolution will give mayors and local leaders more control over the investment decisions affecting their regions. But we also need a joined-up, integrated approach to our rail network, making sure local priorities form part of a bigger national picture. That whole-network approach is essential if we are to get the best value from investments like HS2, ensuring individual projects deliver more as part of a connected network than they ever could in isolation.
HSRG has long made the case for a new Euston, so we are pleased to see upgrades and the redevelopment being taken seriously with a proposed new funding mechanism. As those plans develop, future provision for HS2 must be taken into account.
The UK has all the right tools needed to deliver major rail infrastructure. The focus now should be on putting them to work, building the connections that support growth and creating opportunities for communities across the country.