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DESIRED OUTCOMES

The railway exists to move people and goods from place to place in a safe and efficient manner. It also has a responsibility to contribute to protecting the environment and supporting wider society.

As technology advances these core outcomes need to be remembered, so that the maximum overall benefit is achieved.

The well-established ‘Four C’ challenges of reducing cost and carbon, increasing customer satisfaction and providing agile capacity remain pertinent and align with the outcomes targeted by the Rail Technical Strategy.

Maximising the value of the railway is, in particular, paramount for success. This will not always mean reduced cost in the short term, some technological progress will require an increase in investment, but could significantly improve the value delivered to customers and taxpayers.

As a recognised ‘green’ travel option, rail already contributes relatively little to carbon and air pollution. But there is still more that can be done to meet ambitions around zero carbon and zero harm.

The four outcomes described here provide a framework in which the technical priorities established in this strategy should be considered.
A smiling young passenger on a train

Happy customers

The mode of choice for passengers and freight.
In a normal year, the railway moves close to 2 billion people and lifts over 17 billion net tonne-kilometres of freight which includes around 40% of domestic intermodal freight. Other surface transport modes are changing and evolving rapidly but cannot offer the level of capacity and safety that the railway provides.

But performance has been dropping in recent years, while frustrations over major project delivery and ever rising ticket prices are well known. There is much to be done.

During the Covid pandemic the railway has implemented extensive measures to keep passengers safe, but the situation continues to have significant impact on travelling needs and on passengers’ confidence in using public transport. In the meantime, freight customers have experienced easier access the rail network allowing them to play a vital role in ensuring the continuation of supplies around the country in a green and efficient way.

Only technological advances designed and developed with the customer in mind will ensure that rail is the mode of choice for a wide passenger demographic and a broader swathe of the logistics sector.
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A vibrant sector

A railway that attracts investment and talent.
Creating an attractive sector to invest in and work for will ensure continued interest from both the talent and the capital that we need.

The future workforce needs to see rail as a desirable career path, with an exciting future underpinned by its rich history. Technology firms from start-ups to major international organisations should see rail as a primary target for which to develop new solutions and transfer existing solutions.

There is a strong framework on which to build and positive progress in many areas with over 4,000 suppliers delivering to Network Rail each year. Major infrastructure projects including HS2 open a multitude of new opportunities for innovative suppliers, whilst decarbonisation will bring significant opportunities in both infrastructure and rolling stock.
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Stronger society and economy

An accessible and affordable mode that supports the UK economy.
Transport provides opportunities to access employment and leisure, and to engage with families and friends. Rail can do this at scale and speed, enabling people to travel long distance in comfort and making it possible for large numbers to reach city centre jobs reliably.

By supporting the economies and communities it helps to connect, rail can be a fundamental component in helping the country build back better after the global pandemic and in levelling up regions with services shaped to fit local needs.

To do this rail needs to be accessible and inclusive – physically, financially and culturally. Maximising the proportion of the population who can easily and comfortably travel by train at affordable costs will unlock significant wider societal benefits across the country.
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Better environment

Sustainable operations with a positive environmental impact.
The railway is already a low carbon mode, with over 70% of passenger km run by electric trains. But the sector still emits 3,500 ktonnes of CO2 from traction alone and the freight side is overwhelmingly reliant on diesel. And while air emissions are similarly low, with rail responsible for just 2% of NOx and 1% of particulates, emissions can be significant at a local level and in some stations.

The industry is already making significant progress in reducing the impacts further, with cross sectoral consensus on carbon and air quality strategies, and plans to significantly extend electrification.

New technology will be critical to delivering – whether new traction options such as hydrogen and battery, improvements in electrification or retrofitting existing trains to be cleaner and more efficient.

In the new green economy rail will play a central role in delivering a resilient, integrated transport network.
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Functional Priorities