New funding for the railway – our response

12 October 2017

Today the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, set out the next round of rail funding.

He announced that around £48 billion will be spent on the network from 2019 to 2024.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said:

“Passengers will welcome this ongoing high level of railway investment. Further investment through future major projects and franchises will boost the spending pot even more.

“We’re pleased to see that government is listening to what passengers want – better day-to-day reliability – and making that the main focus. Passengers tell us they want more reliable trains, a better chance of getting a seat or at least standing in comfort, and less delays. This investment will help underpin these improvements.

“The proof of the value of this spend will be when passengers start to see more reliable services and better value for money. Passengers now pump around £9 billion a year into the industry. In return they should expect the basic promises made by the industry to be kept.”