Our railway plays a crucial role in helping cities across Britain grow and develop.
In fact, an extra £47bn a year would flow into the economy if the eight largest cities outside London met their productivity potential a new report finds.
Productivity and growth
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the railway – a remarkable and enduring feat of engineering. But the railway’s true legacy lies in the way it transformed cities and economies and continues to do so two centuries later.
The Future of Cities report prepared by economic research firm WPI Economics and published by us finds that the railway can give a major boost to cities all around Britain.
Cities account for almost two-thirds of Britain’s economic output. Their success is vital to securing growth. And the railway is crucial in helping unlock productivity in cities, particularly those outside London.
The railway’s ability to move large numbers of people and goods quickly within and between cities and local regions is a big driver of this growth.
In the same way, the railway can also help different industries form and develop inside cities. Cities with a mix of industries are vital to our national economy. They drive jobs, creativity, and innovation in ways that virtual working can’t fully replace.
That’s why we’re working hard to develop our railway in the long term for both passengers and freight. For example, our £1.2bn East Coast Upgrade will help get workers and visitors into several major cities between London and Scotland faster. While our commitment to growing the freight industry by 8% by 2029 will help move even more goods in and between cities.
Regional connectivity
The report also found that improved rail connections between cities are crucial for regional growth. This is especially true for cities in the north and the Midlands where better public transport links can help these cities develop.
And we’re carefully investing in long-term projects that’ll boost these local connections. For instance, our multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade will bring you faster, more reliable and more frequent trains between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and York.
Environmental benefits
The railway is also a greener alternative to road transport. Every day, it moves millions of people and freight efficiently and sustainably.
Your train journeys help the environment and contribute to the government’s net-zero targets. Electric road vehicles may also reduce emissions, but they don’t ease congestion on our roads like trains do.
But we recognise that most people use a mixture of rail and road travel which is why we’re developing our railway to integrate with the wider public transport systems. We want to encourage more of you to use public transport. Our regeneration of York Central for instance – a brownfield site near York station – involves building 2km of new roads, including bus lanes, footpaths and cycleways.
Great British Railways
The government is developing Great British Railways (GBR) to further improve the railway. GBR will bring train services and track together under a single leadership. This will help remove barriers and improve your train journeys – making them better performing and financially sustainable.
GBR will allow the railway to work more closely with city leaders. It will move decision-making to a more local level and so unlock the productivity of regional cities.
Sir Andrew Haines, the chief executive officer at Network Rail, said: “The railway is vital to connections across Britain, bringing people together and enabling countless employment, education and investment opportunities. Both factors must be at the heart of the transformation journey that Great British Railways represents.”
