The ghost of British Rail lingers. The recent political pressure on the regulator to reject more open access is an alarming portent. But if the passenger is put first, and proven successes are embraced, then the future could be very different.
It might never become law in its present form, but it will influence whatever comes next. Ministers must take the time to get it right.
Serious doubts exist as to whether the Bill will be in the King’s Speech. If it isn’t, then the Government will have abandoned meaningful change.
We must extract more domestic gas, stop importing more untaxed electricity – and turbo-charge new nuclear power.
The opening piece in a ConservativeHome mini-series this week on the railways after Covid.
While the pandemic has been challenging for the National Grid, it also presents the perfect opportunity for change.
When the UK claims to be reducing its greenhouse gas emissions it is often simply offshoring them.
We must now consider targeting particular carbon intensive goods and power supplies which are imported and carry a large transport and transmission footprint.
The tactic is the product of a generation of failed energy policies. But imported supply is set to become more expensive, not less.
Renationalisation would cost a fortune, fail to address over-crowding, and leave passengers even more vulnerable to cynical strike action.
Privatisation has delivered popular, competitive, open access services which deliver very competitive fares – but restricted to one main line. Why?
We now have a tried and tested case study to prove that competition in rail delivers better services, better value and higher satisfaction.
The rest of the network can learn lessons from the open access experience of the East Coast Main Line.
Years of drift and bad policy have left the UK with a tattered energy policy.
Though very unlikely to win any Commons votes, they can still secure key positive concessions with robust, evidence-based arguments. The Treasury is watching rail closely, especially when bad plans will mean yet more subsidy and poor cost control.