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  • Mark Harper – 2023 Speech to Conservative Party Conference

    Mark Harper – 2023 Speech to Conservative Party Conference

    The speech made by Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, in Manchester on 2 October 2023.

    Conference, thank you. It’s great to be with you in Manchester and as Transport Secretary, I’m supported by a great ministerial team who join us today: Jesse Norman, Huw Merriman, Richard Holden and Charlotte Vere. I’m proud to lead a team working every day to keep Britain moving forward.

    I’d also like to welcome two special guests.

    Our newest Member of Parliament, Uxbridge’s Steve Tuckwell. Steve’s campaign to stop Labour inspired us all.

    And also joining us, Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London, the only person who can defeat Sadiq Khan, cancel his ULEZ expansion, and turn London blue again.

    When we arrived in the Department last October, we faced industrial action across our railways.

    By March, we’d resolved the dispute at Network Rail, meaning that rail infrastructure is always available, crucial for moving freight.

    But the union barons at the RMT and ASLEF have since refused to let their members on train operators have a say on the fair offers on the table.

    They don’t care how many thousands of pounds their members lose in pay, as long as Mick Whelan still sits on Labour’s National Executive Committee, pulling Sir Keir’s strings.

    That’s why Labour refuse to criticise the continued industrial action which achieves nothing but disrupting hardworking businesses and people who just want to get on. They take money from the pockets of ordinary people who could never dream of a train drivers’ wage. The union barons seek to inconvenience people, but all they do is risk resentment towards rail workers, and they put their own industry at risk.

    Now make no mistake conference, I’m proud of what we Conservatives have done to support our railways.

    We’ve invested over £100 billion to transform services, with millions of passengers across the country travelling on new trains on upgraded tracks. In 13 years, Labour electrified just 63 miles of railway track. We’ve delivered over 1,200 miles.

    The choice is clear: Labour-backed strikes, or Conservative investment.

    Either we make the hard but necessary long-term decisions to get a financially sustainable modern railway, or we follow Labour’s lazy ideological approach, forking out yet more money from the public purse for no benefit to passengers.

    Now conference, for people in my rural constituency, and, indeed, across our country, buses are the backbone of public transport, and this Conservative Government is backing our buses.

    We have invested over £3.5 billion in our bus network since March 2020, including over £1 billion to help local areas make bus services more frequent, more reliable, better coordinated, and cheaper.

    The evidence is clear. In Labour-run Wales and London, bus fares increased last year. In Scotland, the SNP put them up. In England outside London, thanks to the Conservative fare cap, bus fares actually went down, helping with the cost of living.

    In the maritime sector, which carries 95% of UK goods, we are investing to guarantee its sustainable future.

    In aviation, with our Jet Zero, we’re ensuring we can cut pollution, whilst still growing our economy and helping people go on well-deserved holidays – with the Prime Minister’s clear commitment last month to no new punitive taxes that discourage people from flying.

    But Conference, for most people, the most important mode of transport remains the car, the van, the lorry, or the motorbike.

    From listening to certain corners of the metropolitan bubble, you would think owning a car was immoral, a dirty habit, an optional extra in peoples’ lives.

    Politicians like Sir Keir Starmer, Sadiq Khan and Mark Drakeford are only interested in the short term, taking the easy way out and making decisions that hammer motorist to seek praise from social media and London newspapers.

    It’s the Conservative Party which is proudly pro-car. We are on track to a future where zero emission vehicles, powered by batteries, hydrogen or other clean technologies mean we keep driving, but powered in a way that’s fit for the future.

    And this Conservative Government will make the hard, but necessary long-term decisions to get the country on the right path for the future – even if some people don’t like it.

    What a contrast with Labour.

    In London, Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ expansion is a Labour tax on the poorest drivers.

    And Conference, he wants to go further. His plans for road pricing would see every driver pay per mile driven, no matter how clean their car is.

    And in Labour-run Wales, Sir Keir Starmer’s “blueprint for…Labour”, there are blanket 20 mile an hour speed limits, an ideological ban on road building and plans to charge people to drive on the M4. And just last week, they let slip their plans for road charging across Wales.

    And it isn’t just in Wales or in London. Right across our country, there is a Labour-backed movement to make cars harder to use, to make driving more expensive, and to remove your freedom to get from A to B how you want.

    Conference, it is time for Conservatives to act.

    And today, I am proud to announce a comprehensive plan to back drivers.

    First, I am calling time on the misuse of so-called 15-minute cities. There’s nothing wrong with making sure people can walk or cycle to the shops or school. That’s traditional town planning.

    But what is different, what is sinister, and what we shouldn’t tolerate, is the idea that local councils can decide how often you go to the shops, and that they can ration who uses the roads and when, and that they police it all with CCTV.

    So today, I am announcing that the Government will investigate what options we have in our toolbox to restrict over-zealous use of traffic management measures including cutting off councils from the DVLA database if they don’t follow the rules.

    The Prime Minister has already tasked me to conduct a review into Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, and that’s ongoing – building on my decision to ensure no Government money funds them.

    It can’t be right that these schemes are imposed without proper local consent, so we will change the guidance to ensure that councils properly listen to what local people say.

    But, Conference, we’ll go further.

    20 mph zones are a good way to protect schools, for quiet residential streets, or areas that are becoming rat runs. But for some councils, and indeed for some countries, they are yet another way to punish drivers, as blanket measures. The evidence is clear – this makes little difference, may actually increase pollution, and risks motorists ignoring 20mph zones where they are needed.

    So, we will change the DfT’s guidance, requiring councils to only use 20mph zones where there’s a good reason, and underlining that 30mph is the default speed limit on urban roads.

    It’s also time to put a stop to some councils using unfair fines as a money-spinner.

    We will put a stop to councils profiting from traffic offences, clawing back revenue, and removing any temptation to exploit you for profit.

    At the same time, we will make it easier for people to switch to cleaner driving in a sensible way, as the Prime Minister set out recently.

    There’s much more. We will make it easier and cheaper to drive and ride, to park and to use transport sensibly.

    To cut down on jams, we’ll tune up traffic lights to help junctions flow and restrict 24-hour bus lanes where they aren’t appropriate.

    And our plan includes a new national parking platform, ending the need to install numerous apps just to park your car as well as a comprehensive package of measures to help councils tackle the menace of potholes.

    Now, conference, 36 years ago, Margaret Thatcher inspired a working-class boy from Swindon to join the Conservative Party. And a year later, she told us how we have a “full repairing lease” on our country and on our environment.

    Since 2010, Conservatives in Government have worked to deliver her vision.

    That working-class boy from Swindon was me, and I make no apology for working to make our transport fit for the future, playing my part in delivering her legacy.

    Conference, as a Conservative, I want to give people choice, to make their lives easier, not to force them to travel in a certain way, or at a certain time.

    We can make it easier and more convenient for people to use cleaner cars but forcing no one to give up the cars they have today.

    We can make it safer for people to choose to walk or cycle, but without forcing drivers off the roads.

    And we can cut our carbon emissions without taxing poorer motorists off the roads, or without CCTV-enforced council rationing.

    Conference, we are at a fork in the road.

    Labour will continue with their same failed approach.

    Taxing the poorest motorists.

    Political speed limits.

    Banning road building.

    Labour would put Just Stop Oil in the driving seat, they’d fix a camera on every lamppost, put a hand in every pocket.

    Instead, we stand for freedom, to travel how you want. The sensible approach to protecting our environment.

    We stand for making the hard, but necessary, long-term decisions to get the country on the right path for the future.

    The choice is clear.

    We have a long-term plan to back drivers. Labour has a long-term plan to tax drivers. We are on the side of hard-working people; Labour wants to drive them off the roads altogether.

    We will take the difficult decisions to put our country on the road to the future, Labour will condemn us to the slow lane.

    That is why I back Susan Hall in London, Andy Street in the West Midlands, Ben Houchen in the Tees Valley and our fantastic Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, to lead us into the next election and to win.

    Conference, thank you very much indeed.

  • Mark Harper – 2023 Statement on Plans for New Smart Motorways Cancelled

    Mark Harper – 2023 Statement on Plans for New Smart Motorways Cancelled

    The statement made by Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 17 April 2023.

    The government has announced that all plans for new smart motorways have been cancelled.

    This will mean that the 11 schemes already paused from the second Road Investment Strategy (2020 to 2025) and the 3 earmarked for construction during the third Road Investment Strategy (2025 to 2030) will be removed from the government’s road-building plans in recognition of the current lack of public confidence felt by drivers and cost pressures.

    While no new stretches will be converted, work on the M56 J6 to J8 and M6 J21a to J26 will go ahead as planned given they are already over three-quarters constructed.

    The government and National Highways will continue to invest £900 million in further safety improvements on existing smart motorways. This includes installing stopped vehicle detection technology on every all lane running smart motorway which has now been completed, adding an additional 150 emergency areas across the network by 2025 and investing in giving motorists clear advice when using existing smart motorways.

    The government will also continue to deliver against its other commitments as set out in its response to the Transport Select Committee in January 2022.

    This government will continue to ensure that our roads remain among the safest in the world – helping drivers not just to be safe, but crucially, to feel safe and confident when driving.

    The following schemes have been cancelled

    RIS2 (2020 to 2025) paused schemes

    New all lane running smart motorways

    M3 junctions 9 to 14

    M40/M42 interchange

    M62 junctions 20 to 25

    M25 junctions 10 to 16

    Dynamic hard shoulder to all lane running conversions

    M1 junctions 10 to 13

    M4/M5 interchange (M4 junctions 19 to 20 and M5 junctions 15 to 17)

    M6 junctions 4 to 5

    M6 junctions 5 to 8

    M6 junctions 8 to 10a

    M42 junctions 3a to 7

    M62 junctions 25 to 30

    RIS3 (2025 to 2030) pipeline schemes

    M1 North Leicestershire

    M1 junctions 35a to 39 Sheffield to Wakefield

    M6 junctions 19 to 21a Knutsford to Croft

  • Mark Harper – 2023 Speech on Improving Rail Services

    Mark Harper – 2023 Speech on Improving Rail Services

    The speech made by Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 20 March 2023.

    With permission, Mr Speaker, I wish to make a statement on the progress the Government are making in improving rail services for passengers.

    Let me begin by saying how pleased I am that, today, members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers at Network Rail have voted to accept a 5% plus 4% pay offer over two years. Seventy-six per cent. of members voted to accept the offer, on a turnout of nearly 90%, showing just how many of them wanted to call time on this long-running dispute.

    From the moment I became Transport Secretary, the Rail Minister and I have worked tirelessly to change the tone of the dispute. We sat down with all the rail union leaders and facilitated fair and reasonable pay offers. Now, all Network Rail union members have resolved their disputes, voting for a reasonable pay increase and accepting the need for a modern railway.

    But not every rail worker is being given that chance. Despite the Rail Delivery Group putting a similar fair and reasonable offer on the table on behalf of the train operating companies, the RMT has refused to put it to a vote. It refused to suspend last week’s strike action even to consider it. Such a lack of co-operation is disappointing—and what does it achieve? It deprives the RMT’s own members of a democratic vote, denies them the pay rise they deserve and, most importantly, delivers more disruption to the travelling public.

    My message to the RMT is simple: call off your strikes, put the RDG offer to a vote and give all your members a say because it is clear from the vote today—the “overwhelming” vote, in the RMT’s own words—that its members understand that it is time to accept a deal that works, not only for their interests, but for passengers.

    Let me turn to the steps we are taking to help passengers and fix the issues on the west coast main line. Members will know that rest-day working, or overtime, is a common way for operators to run a normal timetable. However, last July, drivers for Avanti West Coast, who overwhelmingly belong to the ASLEF union, simultaneously and with no warning stopped volunteering to work overtime. Without enough drivers, Avanti had little choice but to run a much-reduced timetable, with fewer trains per hour from London to destinations in the midlands and the north. Passengers, businesses and communities along vital routes up and down the west coast main line rightly felt let down, facing cancelled services, overcrowded trains and poor customer information. Put simply, it has not been good enough.

    While the removal of rest-day working was the main contributing factor, my hon. Friend the Rail Minister and I repeatedly made it clear to Avanti’s owning groups, Trenitalia and First Group, that their performance needed to improve, too, because we should always hold train operators to account for matters within their control. That accountability should come with the chance to put things right. That is why my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Anne-Marie Trevelyan), extended Avanti’s contract by six months in October. She rightly set a clear expectation that performance had to improve—no ifs and no buts.

    I am pleased to say that not only was Avanti’s recovery plan welcomed by the Office of Rail and Road, but it has led to improvements on the network, with weekday services rising from 180 to 264 trains per day, the highest level in over two years, and cancellation rates falling from around 25% to an average of 4.2% in early March, the lowest level in 12 months. Nearly 90% of Avanti’s trains now arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled time, over 100 additional drivers have been recruited, reducing reliance on union-controlled overtime working, and it is very pleasing to see Avanti’s new discounted ticketing scheme benefiting passengers on certain routes.

    As you would expect me to say, Mr Speaker, there is much more still to do to ensure that Avanti restores services to the level we expect and to earn back the trust that passengers have lost, but we should welcome those improvements and recognise the hard work undertaken to get to this point. The Rail Minister in particular has overseen weekly meetings on Avanti for months and kept hon. Members from both sides of the House regularly informed. He deserves credit, along with Avanti, for that turnaround.

    October’s extension was not popular, least of all in parts of this House, but it was the right decision and Avanti is turning a corner. Its recovery so far has given me sufficient confidence to confirm that today we will extend its contract by a further six months, running until 15 October. However, that short-term contract comes with the expectation that it will continue to win back the confidence of passengers, with a particular focus on more reliable weekend services, continued reductions in cancellations, and improvements in passenger information during planned and unplanned disruption. My Department will continue to work closely with Avanti to restore reliability and punctuality to levels that passengers have long demanded and have a right to expect.

    I realise some hon. Members will also want to hear about TransPennine Express. I will update the House separately about TransPennine Express ahead of the contract expiring at the end of May, but let me be clear: its current service levels are, frankly, unacceptable and we will hold it to account on its recovery plan. We have made it clear that, unless passengers see significant improvements, like we have on Avanti, all options regarding that contract remain on the table.

    I spoke earlier about holding operators to account, but if we stand here and rightly criticise poor operator performance, we should also recognise that across the industry train operating companies have few levers to change it. Avanti, like others, relies on driver good will to run a reliable seven-day-a-week railway. Like others, it is at the mercy of infrastructure issues out of its control. In fact, seven separate infrastructure issues affected Avanti’s performance in the first week of March alone.

    Outdated working practices and track resilience are why predictable calls for nationalisation wildly miss the point. Any operator would face those constraints and struggle to run a reliable service. Ideological debates about ownership are therefore a distraction, like wanting to paint your car a new colour when what it needs is a new engine. Only fundamental reform will fix rail’s systemic issues, which is what the Government are delivering, bringing track and train together under the remit of Great British Railways, taking a whole system approach to cost, revenue and efficiency, and freeing up the private sector to innovate and prioritise passengers. Having set out my vision for rail last month, very soon, I will announce the location of the headquarters of Great British Railways, another clear sign of the momentum we are building on reform.

    We are getting on with the job of delivering a better railway. It is why we are finally seeing improvements along the west coast main line, as we continue to hold Avanti to account. It is why we are making progress on rail reform. It is why we will always defend the travelling public from unnecessary strike action. And it is why we will always play our part in resolving disputes in a way that is fair to rail workers, the travelling public and the taxpayer. Unlike others, I am not interested in pointless ideological debates about privatisation and nationalisation. The Government are focused on gripping the long-standing issues facing the industry for the benefit of its customers—freight customers and passengers—taking the tough but responsible decisions in the national interest, and building the growing, financially sustainable and modern railway Britain deserves. I commend this statement to the House.

  • Mark Harper – 2023 Speech on Transforming Transport in the North

    Mark Harper – 2023 Speech on Transforming Transport in the North

    The speech made by Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, in Newcastle on 6 March 2023.

    Introduction

    It’s great to be here in Newcastle, in what is my first visit to the North-East as Transport Secretary. And let me start, first of all, by thanking Martin Tugwell for the invitation.

    Transport for the North is a valued partner, a tireless champion of boosting connectivity across the region, both in public and in private. And your conference today will be a reminder, to anyone who needed it, that the success of the UK is increasingly tied to the success of the North of England.

    And, to you Lord McLoughlin, or Patrick as I know you better, although frankly for the first large number of years that I knew him, he wasn’t called Patrick, he was called ‘Chief’, as we call the Chief Whip. It was a job he carried out so effectively overseeing party discipline. That it all but guaranteed my attendance here today. There seems to be a theme of former Chief Whips becoming former Transport Secretaries.

    Like Patrick, I was part of the government that, almost a decade ago, actually launched the northern powerhouse. The idea that by pooling the region’s talent, leveraging its fantastic academic institutions, and connecting its great urban centres, we wanted to turn individually strong northern cities into a collective unit, that was greater than the sum of its parts.

    It was an unashamedly ambitious target. And we knew it wouldn’t happen overnight.

    Yet despite the turbulence of recent years – from a global pandemic to now a war on the continent of Europe – there has never been a question of our commitment to the North ever being placed on the backburner, as some have claimed.

    In fact, we redoubled our efforts to boost connectivity, accelerate devolution and revive former industrial heartlands into new engines of economic growth.

    The spirit of that original mission, which we launched 9 years ago, is still alive today. A fundamental belief that a better connected, well-funded, and strongly represented North of England. isn’t just essential for this region, but for the stronger economy the whole country needs.

    Delivery

    We all know the benefits of improved connectivity. The investment it attracts, the jobs it creates and the talent it retains. So even in this tough fiscal climate – where last November, the Chancellor had to make difficult, yet responsible, decisions to restore economic stability – we protected transport infrastructure spending across the North.

    Take major roads. Across the region, we’ve invested £2.5 billion in the Strategic Road Network over the past 3years. Including upgrades to the Newcastle-Gateshead Bypass, improvements to the A63 at Castle Street in Hull, and just last year, completing the £110 million A1 Scotswood to North Brunton scheme. These will not just increase safety and connectivity, but reduce congestion, which acts as a drag on our economy.

    But we’re also giving people alternatives to the car.

    Our National Bus Strategy, and I agree about the importance of buses – around twice as many journeys are made by bus than rail. Our National Bus Strategy transfers greater control over fares and timetables to local authorities, while giving operators the freedom to invest and innovate.

    And it’s working. Because not only have I welcomed the North-East’s and North of Tyne’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, today, I can confirm they will receive £118 million this year to deliver improved services for passengers.

    Now our commitment to buses stretches across the region, and indeed across the country. Last month, I extended both the Bus Recovery Grant and the £2 Fare Cap, which continues our support for a sector that’s still recovering from the pandemic.

    Here in the North-East, we’re also delivering a better railway with services on the East Coast Mainline bouncing back after the pandemic, with LNER the fastest recovering operator over the last 18 months. We’ll soon roll out single-leg pricing for tickets across the LNER network, giving passengers more flexibility in how they travel.

    And with the new Azuma Intercity Express Trains having been built in Newton Aycliffe, passengers in the North-East are riding on trains built in the North-East.

    But that’s not all. Open access operators such as Lumo are providing greater choice in this city, by making use of extra capacity on the network. And on the Tyne and Wear Metro, passengers will soon ride on a new fleet of modern trains, thanks to an investment of over £300 million from my department.

    But today, I am delighted to put right an historic wrong that’s lasted for 60 years. I can confirm we will reopen the Northumberland Line next year, making available the necessary funding that will build 6 new stations across the route. Connecting towns such as Ashington and Blyth to Newcastle, and breathing new economic life into those communities, delivered in partnership with Northumberland Council.

    Now, across the North, local leaders have long called for more ambitious rail infrastructure spending, as was touched on – and this government has answered that call.

    And I think it’s worth saying that any government has to be honest. Easy promises to get applause at events and conferences like this around the country, are not credible if people don’t have plans to pay for them. Ministers also have a duty to the taxpayer to set out well thought-through, costed promises.

    This government is committed £96 billion Integrated Rail Plan that we set out, which will deliver high speed rail to Manchester and transform journeys across the Pennines. And work is already underway. Like between Church Fenton and York, which includes some of the busiest stretches of railway in the North. A combination of electrification, track replacement and modern signalling will lead to faster and more efficient journeys for passengers. Which is part of the major upgrade to the 70-mile Trans-Pennine route. Which is a central government commitment that surpasses what we spent on Crossrail.

    However, one thing is obvious. Even with that investment, the single biggest investment since the creation of the railways right here in the North-East. That will be quickly forgotten if operators can’t deliver services aren’t up to scratch.

    If passengers are regularly let down by industrial action, as a result of the unions refusing to put reasonable pay offers to their members. The Rail Minister, Huw Merriman and I have made it clear to the relevant Managing Directors that services on Avanti West Coast and Trans-Pennine Express routes must improve. It’s good to see Avanti weekday services are starting to improve, but there is more to do so passengers don’t face unacceptable levels of disruption of the past 9 months.

    But also, if trade unions continue to reject pay offers, and refuse to undertake reforms, that are accepted in any modern industry, then it will be impossible to provide consistent and reliable services for passengers. It is not up for debate, about privatisation or nationalisation, it’s about building a modern railway which works as one coherent system in partnership.

    Patrick spoke about my George Bradshaw address, and that was about partnership between the state doing that part of the job that it needs to do, and the private sector doing its part to get more passengers back on the railway. It’s about improving the passengers’ experience, and if we don’t do that and get more revenue, that’s the only way we will build a sustainable and long-term railway, which isn’t at the mercy of antiquated working practices that prevent a reliable 7 day a week railway or hold us back from creating resilient infrastructure.

    Reform won’t just benefit passengers and freight customers, but also the workforce, who want to be part of a growing and sustainable industry, and it’s only that that can fund the pay rises that they expect. Almost the entire industry recognises the need to move forward, including the TSSA, whose members recently accepted a 5% plus 4% pay offer over 2 years.

    It’s a great sadness that the RMT have refused to put that same offer to their members, seemingly intent on thwarting the modernisation of the railways. My message to them is simple: reconsider, a best and final pay offer has been made, your members deserve the final say, let them make that decision in a referendum.

    Devolution

    Now, I’ve spoken about what we’re delivering for the North, but just as important are the powers we’re devolving to the North. Over 75% of the region is now covered by devolution deals, including the North-East, which will form a new Mayoral Combined Authority under a single Mayor, and with a £1.4 billion settlement to fund local priorities.

    You don’t need to look far to see what a determined and empowered Mayor can achieve. Ben Houchen has revived Teeside International Airport from the brink of closure. And opened the largest freeport in the country, which will attract investment and jobs. What Ben and others are doing across the North is important to me. Not just because as a small and big ‘c’ conservative, I’ve long championed the principle of more power in local hands. But because as a constituency MP in rural Gloucestershire for almost 20 years, I empathise with those who feel that Whitehall doesn’t always understand the transport needs of local communities. It touched on the needs of rural communities, for example, to make sure we’ve got transport that fits our needs.

    So whilst central governments must always ensure value for money for the taxpayer, I firmly believe more decisions should be made by local people, in local areas, and for local needs. So, through the Levelling Up Fund and Sustainable Transport Settlements, we’ve made over £3 billion in funding available for regional leaders to transform local transport, according to their priorities. That will lead to upgrades to the Sheffield Supertram, more cycling and walking schemes in the Tees Valley, and better bus routes between Leeds and Wakefield.

    But even the idea of a central government pulling the strategic levers from London feels outdated. That’s why we’ve set up Treasury North in Darlington. The National Infrastructure Bank and a Department for Transport office in Leeds, all clear signs that this Government is putting northern people and businesses at the heart of how this country is run.

    Decarbonisation

    Finally, let me mention how transport is delivering the sustainable economic recovery the country needs.

    The Prime Minister has reiterated our commitment to the 2050 net zero target – both through words and action. We now have departments of state dedicated to net zero, to science and innovation, and in the case of the DfT to transport decarbonisation. It means, right across Cabinet, decisions are being made to drive green growth.

    For transport, the source of most emissions is our roads. So, to support the rising popularity of electric vehicles, I’ve announced £56 million in public and industry funding to ensure local authorities can transform the availability of charging infrastructure. And this includes funding for nine local authorities in the North, such as Durham and Sunderland.

    We’re cleaning up buses too. The City of York and West Yorkshire authorities will be able to introduce over 30 new British made zero emission buses, thanks to a share of a £25 million investment I announced last week.

    However, we cannot overlook the North-East’s critical role in this future of clean travel. Look at what’s happening in Teesside, thanks to DfT funding, its Transport Hub is exploring how we use hydrogen to power some of our heaviest forms of transport.

    And industry is taking note, with BP and Protium already announcing plans for large scale green hydrogen production in the area. And with Port Clarence and Wilton International set to be the sites of new Sustainable Aviation Fuel production plants.

    This very corner of the country is powering a new green industrial revolution, 200 years after powering the first one.

    Conclusion

    So, increasing connectivity for the North. Devolving more power to the North. And decarbonising our economy, led by the North. That is our commitment to this region.

    And we cannot afford to fail. Because to grow the economy, to deal with the cost of living, and to win the race to net zero: the UK economy must fire on all cylinders.

    And it will be this government, led by the first Conservative Prime Minister from a northern constituency for over half a century, armed with a historic electoral mandate from the North, that will build on the foundations laid over the past 9 years, ensuring the North’s best years aren’t consigned to history, but actually lie ahead.

    Thank you.

  • Mark Harper – 2023 Keynote Speech on the Future of the Railways at the George Bradshaw Address

    Mark Harper – 2023 Keynote Speech on the Future of the Railways at the George Bradshaw Address

    The speech made by Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, at the Institute for Civil Engineers in London on 7 February 2023.

    Good evening and thank you to Andy Bagnall and his team at Rail Partners for organising this event and for inviting me to deliver what is my first rail speech since becoming Transport Secretary.

    What a fantastic setting this is, surrounded by reminders of Britain’s glorious engineering history and Bradshaw in whose name we meet today (7 February 2023). Whose timetables brought order to the chaos of the Victorian network is as much a part of rail’s story as Stephenson, Brunel and others honoured throughout this building.

    I would also like to pay tribute to Adrian Shooter who sadly passed away in December. Over the past 30 years, few have played a bigger role in the growth and modernisation of the railways and I’m sure he’s missed by many a friend and colleague here today.

    I realise I’m the second Transport Secretary to give this prestigious address. And I’m pleased to see Patrick in his seat. But me and Lord McLoughlin, Patrick as we all know him, or chief as I used to call him, have a bit more in common. We both hail from working class backgrounds: my dad a labourer, his a coal miner. We both grew up in historic railway towns: Swindon in my case and Stafford in his. And we were both promoted from the whips office to running the Department for Transport. Though admittedly, he was a bit faster than me I spent an interlude on the backbenches.

    Now, 6 years may not seem like a long time but, as Andy says, during that period we’ve since left the EU, emerged from a global pandemic, had 2 general elections and my party may have had one or two changes in leadership. Yet the more things have changed outside the railways, the more they seem to have stayed the same inside.

    Patrick’s 2016 Bradshaw Address was a passionate call for a more flexible, more accountable and more joined-up railway. That still rings true today, as do the reflections of previous Bradshaw speakers. Lord Hendy’s case for a whole system railway in 2018. Keith Williams, a year later, with his relentless and right focus on passengers and even Rick Haythornthwaite’s warning at the inaugural Bradshaw Address in 2011 of a disillusioned public not trusting the way our railways are run. Those all sound eerily familiar.

    So, I’ve spent my first few months in this job listening to the experts, indeed to many people in this room, drawing on my experience in government and many years in business, to understand what’s holding back meaningful change and how we move forward.

    Modernisation

    There’s clearly a lot of frustration in the industry. There’s a widespread desire to end the sense of drift. By moving on from re-diagnosing the industry’s ills to getting on with fixing them. The government’s policy is clear. The Plan for Rail has already been announced to the House of Commons in May 2021 so delivering that policy, moving from the words to action that is my priority.

    Because the railways, quite frankly, aren’t fit for purpose. We’re mired in industrial action, which lets down passengers and freight customers down. And historically unable to deliver major improvements at good value for the taxpayer. Britain is yearning for a modern railway that meets the needs of the moment. One reliable enough to be the 7-day-a-week engine for growth businesses expect. Nimble enough for post pandemic travel, whilst allowing more flexibility for freight and efficient enough when public spending is rightly scrutinised like never before.

    The railways need fundamental reform and that is what we will deliver. And what I will try to set out this evening is how we re-energise that process. Freeing reform from the sidings and getting it back onto the mainline.

    Context

    But first, I must provide some important context. In putting an end to last year’s unwelcome political and economic turbulence this government promised to be straight with the public about the difficult choices ahead. We set out a plan to restore economic stability and that plan is working.

    We’ve seen a significant settling of the market, we’ve reassured investors, calmed the markets and strengthened the currency. It’s a strong base from which to deliver the Prime Minister’s 2023 economic priorities: halve inflation, growing the economy, and reducing debt.

    It is testament to this industry’s huge economic potential that even amidst a challenging fiscal climate we gave full backing to the £96 billion Integrated Rail Plan.

    The largest single investment ever made in our railways will take HS2 from Euston to Manchester. Northern Powerhouse Rail across the Pennines. East West Rail between Oxford and Cambridge. And that has the Chancellor’s full support.

    We’re not wasting any time. In December, I saw the huge construction effort underway at the site of Curzon St Station in Birmingham. It will be the first new intercity terminus built since the 19th century. Attracting tens of thousands of jobs and sparking housing and commercial regeneration across the city.

    Broken model

    Don’t take my word for it go and talk to Andy Street and you’ll get a very passionate case about the transformation that HS2 is bringing to his city.

    But we risk wasting that future infrastructure spending if our railway model is stuck in the past and thanks to Keith’s painstaking work, we know what the underlying issues are. A fragmented structure that quickly forgets the customer. Decision making with too little accountability, but with too much centralisation. And a private sector rightly criticised for poor performance but with too few levers to change it. An industry in “no man’s land” as Andrew Haines correctly described it in his Beesley lecture.

    And in the end it’s rail’s customers that suffer. Like on the East Coast Mainline, where passengers still await the full benefits of billions of pounds in taxpayer investment and years of infrastructure upgrades. I know this first hand. As a backbench MP, when I was trying to get a Sunday train from my constituency to London, I remember constantly refreshing the First Great Western timetable to find half the trains weren’t running. Like many passengers, I had no choice but to give up and take the car instead.

    Andrew, who was then running First Group, probably remembers my rather irate emails from the station platform, interrogating him about why the service was so unreliable. Four months into this job, I now know why. I possibly owe him an overdue apology. It wasn’t entirely his fault. Because Sunday services are essentially dependent on drivers volunteering for overtime. Which means, despite best efforts, we can’t run a reliable 7-day-a-week railway on which customers can depend. It’s why I and the Rail Minister, Huw Merriman, have been clear throughout this period of industrial action that modernising working practices must be part of reform.

    Pandemic impact

    Finally, the pandemic has made a bad problem worse, a lot worse. Thanks to hybrid working, an economic model dependent on 5-day commuting is out of date. Take season ticket sales, which are at just 28% of pre-COVID levels.

    Unsurprisingly, and you don’t need a chartered accountant like me to tell you this, the impact on the industry’s bottom line has been stark. Revenue is around £125-175 million lower each month and costs keep rising year on year.

    Any other industry would have collapsed years ago but the railways have only survived because of the taxpayer and the public purse. The source of over 70% of income over the past 2 years at a cost of £1,000 per household. I won’t mince my words: operating the railways is currently financially unsustainable and it isn’t fair to continue asking taxpayers to foot the bill. Most of them don’t regularly use the railways. Including plenty of my constituents in the Forest of Dean.

    But they find themselves subsidising an industry that delivers only 1.5% and 2% of all journeys that are taken by the public. That disproportionately serves commuters in the south-east and whose funding comes at the expense of other vital transport upgrades. At a time when sacrifices are being made across the economy we must be aware of the trade-offs when it comes to public spending and remind ourselves, as Patrick rightly said in his address, that the Department for Transport isn’t the “Department for the Railways”.

    So, we have a broken model. Unable to adapt to customer needs and financially unsustainable. Left untreated, we will drive passengers away with poor performance, that will lead to fewer services, that will drive more passengers away and so on and so on. Only major reform can break that cycle of decline and Keith’s blueprint is the right place to start. So yes, we will create a more customer focussed and joined up railway. But we want to go further, I want to go further, and actually enhance the role of the private sector. Not just in running services but in maximising competition, innovation, and revenue growth right across the industry. Which the benefits of the private sector has delivered time and again.

    Customers

    Let me start, however, with customers. To raise revenue, we must instil a customer first culture. That means reliable services, comfortable journeys and accessible stations. But it also means tackling the issue which tops passenger lists of biggest concerns, which is fares and ticketing. With 55 million fares available how can anyone feel confident they’re getting the best value for money? Ticketing should be hassle free, something you barely have to think about. Which is why, today, I can confirm the extension of Pay-As-You-Go ticketing, with 52 stations across the south-east set to be completed this year including on Chiltern, London Northwestern, and C2C services.

    Ticket prices should also be fairer but often there is little difference between the cost of a single or a return. Operators are often unable to significantly reduce prices on quieter services. So, after LNER’s successful single leg pricing trial we’ll extend it to other parts of the LNER network from the spring and then carefully consider the results of those before extending more widely. It means a flexible single fare will always be half the cost of the equivalent return – giving passengers more flexibility and better value. This is not about increasing fares, I want passengers to benefit from simpler ticketing that meets their needs.

    We’re also going to learn from the aviation sector and better manage capacity as well as raise revenue by trialling demand-based pricing on some LNER services too.

    Yet, passengers aren’t the industry’s only customers. Carrying tens of billions of pounds worth of goods we cannot overstate rail freight’s untapped potential for green growth. So I intend to create a duty to ensure the new industry structure realises that potential with a dedicated Strategic Freight Unit tasked with creating better safeguards, more national coordination and, later this year, listening to what was said earlier, setting a long-term freight growth target.

    Structure

    However, turning towards customers requires us to turn away from the current industry structure. So, we will establish Great British Railways, or GBR. As we prepare for that, we’ll pick up the pace of reform. I am pleased to announce that the winner of the GBR HQ competition will be revealed before Easter. And by the summer, we will respond to the consultation on GBR’s legislative powers.

    The industry has long called for a guiding mind to coordinate the network so GBR will be responsible for track and train, as well as revenue and cost. Which means finally treating the railway as the whole system it should be rather than a web of disparate interests that it’s become. Passengers won’t longer face the excuse-making and blame-shifting of years past. Instead, GBR will be wholeheartedly customer-focussed. Serving as the single point of accountability for the performance of the railway and crucially, following ministerial direction, the GBR Transition Team will develop the guiding long-term strategy for rail which we will publish later this year and I hope will provide strategic direction to the sector.

    Yet there remains a lot of misinformation about GBR. So let me tackle some of these myths head on.

    This is not going to be Network Rail 2.0, nor a return to British Rail. Taking politics out of the railways is the only way to build a truly commercially led industry and, for me, that is non-negotiable. That’s why GBR will be an arm’s length body ensuring a balanced approach to both infrastructure and operations. With both sides getting a seat at the table and both sides delivering an efficient, high performing railway for customers.

    The role of ministers is to provide strategic direction and be accountable to Parliament. It is not the role of ministers to pore over operational decisions. For example, I shouldn’t need to approve whether a passenger train ought to be removed from the timetable to allow a freight train to run instead, as I was doing earlier today. That will be left to industry experts in 5 regional GBR divisions working in partnership with regional bodies such as the Greater Manchester and the West Midlands Combined Authorities.

    Similarly, we can’t take the other extreme view. Public oversight of our critical infrastructure is needed. Especially to support those passenger services that don’t turn a profit, yet still play an important economic and social role. That’s why we need a pragmatic partnership between state and industry, harnessing the necessary oversight of the state. With the dynamism, innovation and efficiency of the private sector.

    This integrated model works, and not just with the railways. That was how we achieved one of the quickest and most successful COVID vaccine rollouts in the world, and its what we need to do in the railways.

    Private sector offer

    Which brings me to the final area of reform. To enhance the role of the private sector, which I see as central to the future of the railways. Under privatisation and thanks to a resilient and world class supply chain, passenger numbers doubled to 1.75 billion by the eve of the pandemic. With private sector investment in rolling stock reached nearly £7 billion over the past 10 years.

    I don’t want to turn my back on that commercial expertise. The National Rail Contracts and current overcentralised approach are temporary, a short-term fix that has helped steer the industry through the pandemic and this will be phased out.

    I want the private sector to play its most important role in our railways yet. To reinvigorate the sector, drive innovation and most importantly, attract more customers to the railway. It will do so in partnership with GBR. GBR will help set the right commercial conditions across several key areas.

    There will be new Passenger Service Contracts that will balance the right performance incentives with simple, commercially driven targets. But they won’t be a one-size fits all approach. In the past, we know some operators took on more financial risk than they could handle. So, now that risk will sit where it is best managed and that includes with operators, but only where it drives the best outcomes for passengers and taxpayers. We shouldn’t be afraid to let managing directors of train operating companies actually manage and direct their operations. Which is not what they’re able to do at the moment.

    We’ll also open up railway data and systems, whilst lowering barriers to entry for the industry. For ticketing, that means a more competitive retail market and I will welcome new players to spur more innovation and give passengers the services they need.

    We will expand commercial opportunities around land and property near stations. In Japan, rail companies take full advantage of these investments, generating even more income for the railways and we should look to do the same.

    And finally, we will support more open access services where it benefits passengers and taxpayers. We’ve seen this work well with Hull Trains and Grand Central as well as with Lumo on the East Coast Mainline. All offering passengers greater choice and more direct links. Open access operators will play an important role in the industry’s future, especially as we grow new markets and make best use of spare capacity on the network.

    Conclusion

    Let me finish by saying that despite being the second Transport Secretary to deliver this address I’m probably the first to be given a biblical nickname. Modern Railways Magazine described the rail industry as waiting for “Moses Harper to come back from the mountain with tablets of stone.” Whilst I’m, of course, flattered by that comparison, unlike Moses, I do plan to live long enough to reach the promised land of rail reform. And whilst my words this evening have not been divinely inspired they do have the full support of the Prime Minister and the Chancellor, which, in politics, is the next best thing.

    As a whole government, we are pressing ‘go’ on rail reform. Day-to-day work will be ably led by the Rail Minister, Huw Merriman, who’s here tonight and has long championed the need for a reformed railway, including when he was chairman of the Transport Select Committee. He will provide the stability and leadership needed, while also giving the industry freedom to deliver meaningful change and I hope you will all rise to the challenge:

    • to put customers first
    • to realise the benefits of GBR
    • to help enhance the role of the private sector

    Because only then can the railway earn the public trust it needs to grow.

    As we look ahead to the industry’s 200-year anniversary in 2025, this is our chance to resurrect some national pride in our railways. A chance to harness the political will that is there, the economic imperative and I believe the industry buy-in to build the modern railway Britain deserves.

    It’s a chance we cannot waste.

  • Mark Harper – 2023 Speech to the Airport Operators Association Conference

    Mark Harper – 2023 Speech to the Airport Operators Association Conference

    The speech made by Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 31 January 2023.

    Introduction

    It’s a pleasure to be here, delivering my first aviation speech since becoming Transport Secretary.

    You could be forgiven over the last year for thinking you perhaps have heard ministers using that line before. It’s been frustrating, I know, for an industry eager to get on with the business of growth…especially after the devastating impact of of the Covid pandemic over the last few years.

    So let me start by thanking all of you, not just for the hard work airports continued to do amidst last year’s political and economic turbulence, and that’s turbulence which I’m very pleased that this government – led by this Prime Minister – has ended, but also for the collaboration I’ve seen in the face of ongoing strike action at our borders. And I know you’ve heard earlier from Phil Douglas, the Director General of Border Force. And my department and Border Force have been working very closely with airports to make sure we have resourcing available and we minimise the disruption to the travelling public from that industrial action.

    I would also like to acknowledge the recent unfortunate news about the collapse of Flybe and our thoughts are obviously with those affected. We’re working in the department with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to help the passengers affected to access alternative travel arrangements, and pointing staff to the support available from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

    But I was also very pleased by the sector’s quick response not only with Ryanair, British Airways and EasyJet, stepping in with special fares for those passengers disrupted, but also the industry’s announcements around fast tracking recruitment processes, for the staff who sadly lost their jobs. All are actually welcome signs of a growing resilience within the sector and you’re focused on ensuring that you can retain and attract the skills and talent necessary for this industry to continue growing.

    It’s been 6 years since I was last in government. When I was last in government, aviation’s challenge wasn’t about whether it would grow….it was about by how much….and about whether the industry could keep pace with the rising demand. Pre-pandemic, we had the largest aviation sector in Europe with air transport and aerospace worth £22 billion to our national economy, providing nearly a quarter of a million jobs. Passenger numbers at UK airports had grown by over a third since 2009 and the eve of the pandemic saw the highest number ever.

    Recovery

    That conversation, however, quickly changed. And the last few years have been the toughest in this industry’s 100-year history. Where UK airports saw a 99% drop in passenger numbers at the height of the pandemic and globally, the sector faced a fall in passenger revenue of over £250 billion in 2021.

    Some of you may know that as a backbencher I watched that unfold. I led a group of MPs who wanted a balanced approach to COVID-19 restrictions. Outside of government, I felt one of the jobs of MPs was to hold the government to account, and ask tough questions about policy to make sure we made the right decisions. We did obviously have a duty to protect public health, but we also had a duty to business and workers. And the Prime Minister, while he was Chancellor, obviously put in a significant package of support for the economy.

    Every restriction introduced also needed a proper exit plan, so that we could safeguard both lives and livelihoods. And that was I think the right approach…and we put something like £8 billion into the aviation sector…and we moved further and faster than any other nation in re-opening our economy and borders as soon as it was safe to do so.

    Since then, and thanks to many in this room, we’ve managed to make sure that aviation, arguably the sector hardest hit by the pandemic, is showing robust signs of recovery. I know for example that Gatwick and Luton both will submit applications for modernisation and expansion programmes. Investments which represent a vote of confidence in aviation’s future. If approved, are set to generate significant benefits for passengers..

    We’re also seeing consistently busier airports and fuller flights, with passenger levels now at 85% of pre-pandemic levels. And where the industry struggled to meet this increased demand last year, the government stepped in, working with you to rebuild resilience.

    For example, our passenger charter gave the public confidence to travel. We accelerated the vetting process to speed up staff recruitment. But that’s not all. Today (31 January 2023), I can confirm that slots rules will return to normal this summer. But we’re maintaining the safety net introduced during COVID-19 and airlines can hand back 5% of slots to help minimise last minute cancellations.

    And I know some of you are trialling next generation security, so that this new technology will better detect prohibited items, allowing passengers to pass through security more swiftly. Just some of the measures that will not only support the sector’s recovery, but help us turn recovery into renewal.

    Aviation Council

    What renewal looks like is the remit of the Aviation Council, which I will be launching tomorrow. The council brings the full force of industry and government to bear on 10 key issues. Setting the industry on course for long term success, ensuring aviation turns its back on an industrial model no longer fit for purpose and moves towards a more sustainable one, including modern infrastructure, cleaner energy and an increasingly diverse pool of skills and talent.

    So let me take each of those in turn.

    Modernisation

    On modernisation pre-pandemic, thousands of aircraft navigated a complex network of routes to operate safely in our airspace. Mapped in the 1950s, this network has struggled to deal with the surge in growth of modern air travel. Causing delays for passengers as planes circle airports waiting to land. It affects local communities which suffer from excess noise and pollution and ultimately, it increases costs for the industry.

    The CAA, last week, launched a refreshed version of its Aviation Modernisation Strategy, to strengthen and upgrade our invisible infrastructure in the skies.

    Modernisation will mean quicker and quieter flights, more choice and value for passengers, and futureproofing our airspace to allow safe access for drones and even spacecraft. Something I didn’t realise I had responsibility for before I started in this job, but having had the chance to authorise Spaceport Cornwall I realised that’s also under my responsibilities. That plan is wholeheartedly backed by the government and we’ve provided £9.2 million in funding to support airports throughout this change.

    Now I realise some in this room will be frustrated at the speed of progress. And while it’s right that any modernisation aligns with our world leading safety, security and environmental standards, the aviation minister will continue working closely with the CAA and airports involved to drive this forward.

    Decarbonisation

    A more efficient and cleaner airspace brings me onto arguably this industry’s greatest challenge – decarbonisation. At current rates, aviation will become one of largest carbon emitting sectors by 2050. I don’t support the view that aviation must decline to meet our climate goals. But it must now earn the right to grow by weaning itself off fossil fuels. It’s why we’ve developed the Jet Zero Strategy, which set a 2050 net zero target for the sector.

    An ambitious, yes, but the early signs are encouraging, particularly around the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Take Virgin Atlantic, who this year, thanks to government funding, will conduct the first ever net zero transatlantic flight. Its Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines will be powered by cooking oils that otherwise would have gone to waste. It will be a remarkable achievement, demonstrating UK leadership in an area that could support over 5,000 jobs by 2035.

    Fuels are just one part of decarbonising the industry. Airports are also playing a crucial role, with many of you already setting ambitious net zero targets. We’ll soon publish our call for evidence on a 2040 target for net zero airport operations something David Silk will expand on when he speaks to you later today.

    Skills and talent

    Finally, let me turn to skills and talent. I recognise that the pandemic saw swathes of the workforce face disruption and the immediate priority is to retain that talent. Already, the aviation skills recruitment platform has helped over 1,500 people find jobs and training. But we cannot talk about building a sector fit for the future if our approach to recruiting talent remains stuck in the past.

    When I was growing up back where I came from in a working-class household in Swindon, a career in aviation was never suggested as an option for people from my background. And even today, too many people still feel parts of the industry are not for them. But I was talking this morning actually about a fantastic initiative about getting more apprentices involved. And one of the team I was speaking to had actually been to a school in my constituency, where they’ve had people becoming degree apprentices working in the aerospace sector in Gloucestershire. Actually, when you talk to those young people and you listen to what they’ve learnt about the sector, they are enthused, excited about joining what is an exciting sector focused on the future, with all the opportunities in front of them.

    But there are too many people who think the industry is not for them. Look at professional pilots – only 6% are women. It can’t be right that we discount half the population, half of the skills and talent available for the sector. Training providers are largely concentrated in the south-east and high training costs put off those from poorer backgrounds. In fact I heard recently from some youngsters who were very keen to join the industry and become pilots, but had no idea how they would make the finances work from the backgrounds from which they came. Many are unaware of the range of careers offered by the industry, including corporate roles, data analysis, engineering and IT.

    And ultimately, it’s the industry that will lose out, unable to meet the challenges ahead with a workforce lacking in diversity of thought and experience. Through our Generation Aviation programme, we’re starting to put this right. Our new cohort of Aviation Ambassadors, representing the brightest and best of the industry, will go into schools and local communities to share their experiences and try and enthuse more people to want to join this fantastic industry.

    And tomorrow, I’ll announce the winners of the £700,000 Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund. Each winning project will open aviation up to the breadth of talent across the country, from engineering and flying lessons aimed at those from poorer backgrounds, to increasing accessibility for people with disabilities. It’s vital we send a clear message that aviation is for everyone.

    Conclusion

    I started by talking about the pace of change over the past 6 years. The conversation moving from seemingly limitless growth, then to survival and over the past year, to recovery. Now we’re able to start a more optimistic, conversation about the future. About an industry no longer constrained by outdated practices, but modernising its infrastructure and operations. No longer the poster child for environmental decline, but committed to a future of sustainable flight and attracting talent from every background.

    These are just some of the areas where aviation has a golden opportunity to move from recovery to renewal and I look forward to working with all of you to make that happen.

    Thank you.

  • Mark Harper – 2022 Comments on Migrant Deaths in Channel

    Mark Harper – 2022 Comments on Migrant Deaths in Channel

    The comments made by Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, on Twitter on 14 December 2022.

    My thoughts are with those involved in the distressing incident in the Channel this morning.

    I thank HM Coastguard for coordinating a huge search and rescue operation with the Royal Navy, the Home Office, Kent Police and others.

  • Mark Harper – 2022 Statement on Rail Services in the North

    Mark Harper – 2022 Statement on Rail Services in the North

    The statement made by Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 13 December 2022.

    Members will be aware that, in July 2022, Avanti West Coast experienced an immediate and near total cessation of drivers volunteering to work on passenger trains on rest days. In response, it has had to reduce its timetable to provide greater certainty for passengers.

    Similarly, TransPennine Express services continue to be impacted by the loss of rest day working, higher than average staff sickness levels, and historically high levels of drivers leaving the business.

    The current rail services in the north have therefore been unacceptable, and on November 30 I met with the northern Mayors in Manchester. In that meeting, we agreed that the rail industry is not set up to deliver a modern, reliable service, and that we need both short-term and long-term measures to address this.

    As a short-term measure, Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express have both been rapidly increasing the number of drivers they employ. This is helping Avanti restore the services that it was forced to withdraw. Services increased in September, and have now increased to 7 trains per hour, restoring the full Manchester-London service. It is therefore disappointing that passengers will not see the full benefit of these changes until the current wave of industrial action is over. I was pleased to see the RMT call off the strike action scheduled for Avanti West Coast on 11 and 12 December, as sustaining this level of service will require the support of the trade unions.

    I have also given TransPennine Express and Northern the scope they need to put a meaningful and generous rest day working offer to ASLEF. However, giving operators a mandate is only the first step. ASLEF needs to enter negotiations, and put any new deal to its members and, if accepted, do all it can to make that deal work. TransPennine has made a generous revised offer to ASLEF and it was almost immediately rejected without being put to members. It is up to the unions to decide if they want to improve services, for the good of passengers and the wider economy in the north.

    Today, the RMT is on strike across the country again, disrupting services and driving passengers away from the railway. In my meeting with the Mayors, we all agreed on the need for a reliable railway seven days a week. That means not having fragile rest day working agreements and breaking the railway’s dependence on rest day working altogether. No modern and successful business relies on the good will of its staff to deliver for its customers in the evening and at the weekend. I want a railway with rewarding jobs, contracted to deliver every service promised to the public. I want to encourage passengers back to a financially sustainable railway.

  • Mark Harper – 2022 Statement on Railway Infrastructure in England and Wales

    Mark Harper – 2022 Statement on Railway Infrastructure in England and Wales

    The statement made by Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 1 December 2022.

    I should like to make a statement on the settlement for the next five-year funding period for railway infrastructure in England and Wales.

    Maintaining and renewing our country’s rail infrastructure is critical to delivering the railway that passengers and freight companies expect, and for supporting economic growth. Every five years the Government are required to set out what we wish to achieve from the operations, maintenance and renewal of the railway. This is done through a document known as a high-level output specification, and the funding available is set out through a statement of funds available.

    I am today, 1 December, publishing the objectives and funds available for operational railway infrastructure in England and Wales for the next control period, control period 7. This covers the period April 2024 to March 2029.

    The Government fully recognise the critical role that rail services played for business, key workers and our society during the covid-19 pandemic, and the vital role that they play in connecting communities and supporting economic growth.

    The high-level output specification makes it clear that the Government will press ahead with rail reform, addressing the challenges facing the sector, such as fragmentation and outdated working practices, with a strong continued focus on operations, maintenance and renewal. This strong continued focus is important in supporting a safe, efficient and reliable railway for passengers and freight customers.

    Achieving these objectives will be facilitated by significant Government investment as set out in the statement of funds available, with Network Rail spending around £44 billion over the period April 2024 to March 2029. The Government now expect Network Rail to develop detailed plans to deliver on these objectives, working closely with its customers. These will then be subject to strong and effective scrutiny by the Office of Rail and Road, as independent regulator, to develop robust, credible, value-for-money plans for the next control period.

  • Mark Harper – 2022 Letter to the RMT Union and Mick Lynch

    Mark Harper – 2022 Letter to the RMT Union and Mick Lynch

    The letter sent by Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, to Mick Lynch, the General Secretary of the RMT, on 28 November 2022.

    Letter (in .pdf format)