Can we transform Britain’s transport networks?

Stephanie Boland Head of Digital, Prospect

Keeping pace

There are lots of things my partner and I like about going back up north, and specifically to his hometown of Blackburn: the cooler weather, the cleaner air—almost shockingly breathable compared to our usual smoggy London commute—and the ready availability of a delicious potato and onion pastry concoction known as a “butter pie.” One thing we don’t love, however, is the trains. Whoever called them Pacers has a keen sense of irony is all I’m saying.

Not only does Britain have a transport problem, but it is a problem that manifests in vastly different ways depending on where you are (or, I suppose, where you need to be). Only this autumn, prime minister Boris Johnson gave a speech stressing the need for more powers to be devolved to give northern city leaders the ability to plan and execute long-overdue improvements to transport across the region, adding that locallyelected mayors “are always going to care far more… than someone in Whitehall.” As infrastructure chief John Armitt writes in this month’s policy report, the various metro mayors are deeply invested in trying to match London’s transport successes— but there’s still some way to go if Johnson wants to prove his words are more than hot air.

Speaking of hot air, there’s also the environmental aspect to think of. As Labour’s Andy McDonald stresses, a sustainable solution to match the increased burden on Britain’s rail network must address the fact that transport is currently Britain’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses. Whether the answer lies in new technology or infrastructure improvements—or a combination of the two—it is crucial that corners are not cut, to ensure developments remain sustainable down the line.

Who implements those developments is another question. For Conservative Bob Neill, the way forward is not renationalisation but rather allowing providers with a successful track record (as it were), such as Transport for London, to take over rail contracts. But although his experience is “unashamedly London-centric,” Neill, too, emphasises the value of regional devolution. One to mull next time you’re changing at Preston.