In 2025 we mark the 200th anniversary of the world's first public railway between Bishops Auckland and Stockton via Darlington, which opened on the 27th of September 1825.
The opening of this 25-mile stretch of railway in County Durham can be argued to be, alongside the Wright brothers first flight 78 years later, one of the biggest innovations in transport ever made. Railways have now spread across the world - from Japanese bullet trains travelling at hundreds of miles an hour to American cargo trains that are miles long - rail transport is an intrinsic part of how our world works.
As we celebrate the bicentennial of public railways, could it be a pivotal year in more ways than one? It could be argued that we started the year in less than auspicious shape, as a lack of pace and clarity cast a shadow over an industry pent up with pending plans and prone projects waiting for momentum.
The autumn budget, which set clear momentum in other areas like energy infrastructure spending, recycled references to historic rail projects rather than breaking new ground or signposting investment intent.
And in recent days major delivery partners have bemoaned a slower than expected rate of investment coming through from major programmes like CP7, knocking performance, share prices and industry confidence.
While in recent weeks industry experts have publicised other concerning indicators like a report into the spiralling cost of fuel for rail freight, which is now triple the cost of road haulage, undermining progress in this vital modal shift, destined to free up capacity on the strategic road network and decarbonise the movement of goods.
This is not helped by the stymied progress of electrification, which has hovered around the 38% mark, and at best under our previous government was projected to reach 51% including well established investments like TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU). A Railway Industry Association (RIA) strategy document published in April last year challenged that view, outlining how a further 15% of the network could be electrified in a co-ordinated, economical, and sustainable fashion.
All in all, plenty of room for improvement from the birthplace of rail.
But I think it is important to take stock of the full picture. We now have a government that firmly believes in rail. It was a Labour government that initiated HS2 in 2009, with a belief in the need to invest in our creaking Victorian network. And many believe that we will see plans for a substantial programme of rail investment Midlands to North before the end of this Parliament.
In recent days in balance with a bemoaned CP7 comes confirmation of the government's commitment to a major new approach to infrastructure investment, starting with publishing a comprehensive 10-year infrastructure strategy in June. This should start to shape longer term clarity and commitment to give industry confidence.
Also in recent weeks alongside a report highlighting spiralling rail freight costs, another report has asserted that using the tax increment financing (TIF) model could enable Transport for London (TfL) to move forward with its three priority rail network expansion projects; Docklands Light Railway extension to Thamesmead, Bakerloo Line extension to Lewisham and West London Orbital extension to the Overground network.
And in balance with an autumn budget that lacked rail fanfare, less than 4weeks later the government passed the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 that will see seven of our fourteen train operating company services renationalised by the end of this bicentennial year. This move will see the shift of the c£150m per annum paid to TOCs being channelled back into services and wider investment.
As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of one of Britain's greatest world-wide exports, I am genuinely hopeful that we will be looking to a more optimistic future for rail as well as an auspicious past.
