British railways need 30 years of investment to match Europe

[John Ashworth]

British railways need 30 years of investment to match Europe, admits head of Network Rail

British railways need 30 years of continuous investment to match those of Europe, the head of Network Rail, Sir David Higgins has admitted.

Telegraph
7:00AM GMT 07 Feb 2012

It comes as a think-tank warned that the UK's railways are the worst in Europe for fares, efficiency and comfort.

The report, by the think tank Just Economics, said that UK rail services were less affordable, less comfortable, slower and more inefficient than services in countries such as France, Italy and Germany.

Sir David said: “People go to Switzerland and ask why can’t we have the same service? That is because for the last 50 years they have worked relentlessly to standardised their equipment and make sure their railways are easy to maintain.

He told the Financial Times: “It requires 30 years of continuous investment to ensure our railways get to the level of some of the European railways that we admire”

A typical season ticket in the UK costs 14p per kilometre, compared with 8p per kilometre in Germany, Holland and France, the next most expensive countries.

Day return tickets in the UK were also found to be the most expensive, with an average cost of 26p per kilometre, compared with 15p in the next most expensive country, Switzerland.

The report also found that, in terms of the ratio of passengers to seats, only Spanish trains are less comfortable than Britain’s.

This was despite the fact that the UK invests more in railways than France, Germany or Spain. Only Italian railways have had more money spent on them, as a proportion of GDP.

Network Rail spends around £10 billion a year running the railway but that amount has remained virtually unchanged since it took over from Railtrack nine years ago.

Sir David said: "For at least a couple of decades we took a holiday on renewing our railway tracks before and after privatisation.

Last week it emerged that the Network Rail boss could receive a bonus worth 60 per cent of his salary - or £336,000 - under a scheme due to be approved by the company next week, despite poor punctuality on Britain’s railways.

The Transport Minister Justine Greening is planning to vote against the companies £20 million bonus pool. It will be the first time a minister had done so.

“These latest bonus proposals are unacceptable," she said last week. "Network Rail needs to be responsible and exercise restraint.

“Labour designed a system where Ministers have no powers to block Network Rail executive pay and which in 2008 saw bonuses of over half a million given out to the Chief Executive even when there were serious failures.

“This is clearly a flawed system which we have already addressed as part of our forthcoming Rail Review which will make Network Rail more accountable”

The frequency of trains was the only area in which the UK performed better than France, Germany, Spain and Italy. It said that the UK’s railways “carry a considerable cost” both for passengers and for the public purse.

The report said that the social, economic and environmental benefits of achieving a modal shift from road to rail – in terms of reduced congestion, accidents and emissions – could reach £154.8 billion by 2050.

The report was released ahead of the Government’s response to the McNulty review of the railways, which is expected to be published shortly.

Bob Crow, leader of the Rail Maritime and Transport union, which commissioned the study, said: “This latest research shows that the failures of privatisation are costing the UK hundreds of billions of pounds in social value.”