Executive Summary
The railway has been a foundation sector of the UK economy for nearly 200 years.
By connecting communities to employment, education, essential services and leisure opportunities, rail is an essential catalyst for economic growth and productivity, contributing £43bn to the economy and £14bn in tax revenues. In addition to growth required in London and the devolved nations, the National Infrastructure Commission has recently argued that insufficient rail capacity now risks holding back growth in and around English major cities, such as Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol.
Rail has always been an enabler of social mobility, and today supports some 710,000 UK jobs, with high-skilled positions and apprenticeships located right across the country in diverse roles spanning engineering, logistics, digital or environmental, disciplines.
Furthermore, growing rail use is one of the quickest ways to reduce carbon emissions. Transport generates more carbon than any other sector, but rail is responsible for less than 2% of emissions. Boosting rail passengers and freight also helps reduce road congestion.
Future demand for rail is strong. Expert research by consultancy Steer in February found that rail passenger numbers are likely to grow between 37-97% by 2050, while Office for National Statistics projections show that the UK population will grow by 10% to almost 74m by 2036, meaning many more journeys.