Wednesday 7 May, 09:15,
Grimond Room, Portcullis House
The Transport Committee holds the first session of its Rail investment
pipelines inquiry, with questions to Network Rail
chiefs and representatives of the Rail Industry Association and
Rail Forum.
MPs will investigate how developing long-term, transparent and
sequenced plans – or pipelines – could bring certainty and
security to the ecosystem of organisations and companies that
commission and deliver improvements to the UK's railways.
The inquiry was launched last year in light of repeated calls
from industry for government support, and following concerns for
the future of Alstom's rolling stock factory in Derby, which
shone a light on the insecure ‘boom and bust' nature of the rail
supply industry.
Network Rail, which runs the railway infrastructure throughout
the country, will be questioned on how it plans its programmes –
five-year Control Periods – of enhancements and improvements on
the network, and where that funding is drawn from. How does this
process take place and how does the organisation engage with
industry?
The cross-party Committee will be interested to learn about the
barriers that have stopped pipelines being adopted, whether
greater certainty is needed over funding for longer periods, and
whether the establishment of Greater British Railways as a
centralised ‘guiding mind' could make pipelines more
achievable.
There may also be questions on how pipelines could feed into
broader industrial strategies overseen by the Government, and how
greater certainty on future business could encourage companies to
invest more in the skills of their workforces through
apprenticeships and graduate schemes.
Witnesses from 09:15
- Sir Andrew Haines, Chief Executive, Network Rail
- Jeremy Westlake, Chief Financial Officer, Network Rail
From 10:15
- Robert Cook, Policy Director, Railway Industry
Association
- Noel Travers, Chair, Railway Industry Association
- Elaine Clark OBE, Chief Executive, Rail Forum
- Michelle Craven-Faulkner, Vice Chair, Rail Forum
