AS this is the first issue of the new year, it is traditional to look ahead to what we can expect to see happen over the coming months – but this year seems to be one of the most difficult to read in quite some time.
Perhaps the biggest cause for uncertainty is the looming general election, which has to take place before the end of January 2025, but is widely predicted for either spring or late autumn. As this issue went to press, the ruling Conservative party was trailing Labour in the polls by a wide margin, with political pundits therefore expecting there will be a change in Government after 14 years.
What this will mean for our railways, however, is still very much unknown: The Conservatives in recent years cannot be described as wholly ‘prorail’, but then again details of what Labour would do instead are thin on the ground. Meanwhile, the major reorganisation that would create ‘Great British Railways’ has stalled awaiting legislation to be presented to Parliament, and it feels like the political will needed to get this through is ebbing away fast.