Demand for rail service improvements rises as public spending falls
Summary
The goal to increase the number of passenger places on trains in the next five years will not be met, ‘Increasing Passenger Rail Capacity’ (HC 471) reports.
The Department for Transport (DfT) is eighteen months into a five-year, £9 billion investment programme to improve rail travel. Latest plans show all the relevant targets outlined will not be met.
There will be 15% fewer extra places delivered in London in the morning peak and 33% fewer into other major cities, compared to the numbers the Department stated would be needed just to hold overcrowding at current levels.
Rising demand for rail travel combined with serious cuts in public expenditure make it essential that the rail industry becomes more efficient, otherwise the passenger will suffer.
The Committee recommends that overcrowding on trains be monitored and that smart ticketing promotion is increased to balance out rush hour periods with quieter travel times.
Rail infrastructure costs more in Great Britain than in other countries, and there is a large potential for Network Rail to improve its efficiency. According to the Committee of Public Accounts, the Office of Rail Regulation should be challenging Network Rail's efficiency at a detailed level.
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