Archived press release

Brown fails to tackle britain's trains crisis

15 July 2002

Only already committed projects will be funded from the Chancellor’s announced rise in spending of 12% by 2006 (from £7.7bn now to £11.6bn in 2005/6), despite recent reports by both the CBI and the House of Commons Transport Select Committee saying that more investment was essential. More than 5000 angry rail passengers recently supported Friends of the Earth’s campaign for more rail investment, by sending E-mails and text messages to the Treasury.

The Strategic Rail Authority has admitted that several crucial rail improvement schemes cannot be implemented before 2010 without additional Government funding. These include:

• West Midlands Capacity Study – a programme of major improvements to prevent commuter gridlock around Birmingham
• Manchester Strategic Rail Study - a package of major improvements to rail services which are currently poor and under used for a city of this size
• Multi Modal Studies – the consultants working on these integrated transport studies are already recommending rail improvement schemes that the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) says it does not have the resources to deliver until after 2010

Putting the necessary investment in place would not have to mean taking money from other spending priorities. Research recently commissioned by Friends of the Earth has shown that keeping motoring costs constant with small increases in fuel tax and cancelling a number of damaging road schemes would raise between £32.7 and £46.2bn over 10 years.

Commenting, Friends of the Earth Transport Campaigner Tony Bosworth said:
"The extra investment in the railways is nowhere near enough. Passengers around the country wanted some good news from Mr Brown but he has let them down badly. If we want safe, efficient, reliable and affordable railways across the country, the Government will have to find more money The new investment in building more roads is just throwing good money after bad. New roads won't help solve our transport problems, better railways will."

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust