Maier Rail & Urban Transport Review published

[InTheEastMids]

Apologies if this is already being discussed elswhere - I haven't seen a thread although this work appears to have been mentioned on HS2-related and other topics.

Juergen Maier was tasked by the Labour Party in late 2023 to lead this review, which has now published its heavily Arup-ised report.

The full report is downloadable from here: https://urbantransportgroup.org/ind...rail-and-urban-transport-review-press-release

The Review calls for:

• Establishing an ambitious transport infrastructure plan to ensure a greener, more inclusive, and efficient UK transport network – fit not just for the next five years, but the next 50. This should start with the creation of a Transport Strategy for England (TSE), encompassing skills, land use and housing objectives to align with regional and local strategies.
• Implementing a transformative framework to reduce project delivery costs by 20% and timelines by 25%.
• Developing an infrastructure investment playbook to facilitate and leverage private investment for substantial improvements.
• Ensuring the voices of transport users and the workforce are central to future transport plans, driving social inclusion and local growth.

I've not read every word, and as a review there is nothing in there that to me represented a blinding flash of insight, as the main recommendations will probably be familiar to many here:
- Long term vision for transport networks to avoid short-termism
- Faster, cheaper delivery of capital projects
- "harnessing the benefits of public private partnerships"
- Get project structures right (e.g. planning law, role)
- Strengthen the voice of customers to ensure they are listened to

The press release has a canned quote from Louise Haigh:

“14 years of Conservative government left the public sick and tired of broken promises on transport infrastructure.
“This independent expert-led review provides a comprehensive assessment of the challenges and opportunities we face in delivering transport infrastructure in Britain, and will help inform this new Government’s thinking.
“We are clear that we will deliver value for the taxpayer while turbocharging delivery of transport projects. That’s how you grow the economy in every corner of the country, and deliver the transport network that modern Britain needs.”

However saying this report will "help inform this new Government's thinking" is some distance short of adopting any of its recommendations.

Change is much harder than repeating previous failures.

 

[Trainbike46]

It has a lot of good stuff, including recommending a target to double rail modal share in the next ten years, so by 2035

 

[InTheEastMids]

It has a lot of good stuff, including recommending a target to double rail modal share in the next ten years, so by 2035

Agreed, it's not short on ambition.

However, if we continue doing what we've been doing, then none of it will happen. So overall there are rather mixed messages coming from Government.
My understanding is that a real problem is the way that long-term projects like HS2 get chopped around because of issues in the short-term economic cycle, or because you want to knock a penny of income tax. This is madness, like defaulting on your mortgage so you can buy more sweets.

What has changed is that people do seem to be finally "getting it" - that UK can't scrimp and save its way to high productivity, wealth and high quality infrastructure.
Transport infrastructure in the Midlands and the North could create really strong long term paybacks - it's not the gap with London, but also the obvious gaps with similar cities and regions elsewhere in Europe. My undeducated guess is that the two ways this gets looked at are (i) new public/private models (link below mentions that) and also a rethink about how long-term capital investment debt is thought about to free it from the short term economic/electoral cycle.

There's been some media coverage, including this surprisingly neutral Telegraph story that MSN is carrying (so no paywall), which I've linked below.

MSN

"Starmer to reconsider building scrapped HS2 route"

 

[MPW]

Apologies if this is already being discussed elswhere - I haven't seen a thread although this work appears to have been mentioned on HS2-related and other topics.

Juergen Maier was tasked by the Labour Party in late 2023 to lead this review, which has now published its heavily Arup-ised report.
The full report is downloadable from here: https://urbantransportgroup.org/ind...rail-and-urban-transport-review-press-release

I've not read every word, and as a review there is nothing in there that to me represented a blinding flash of insight, as the main recommendations will probably be familiar to many here:
- Long term vision for transport networks to avoid short-termism
- Faster, cheaper delivery of capital projects
- "harnessing the benefits of public private partnerships"
- Get project structures right (e.g. planning law, role)
- Strengthen the voice of customers to ensure they are listened to

The press release has a canned quote from Louise Haigh, however saying this report will "help inform this new Government's thinking" is some distance short of adopting any of its recommendations.
Change is much harder than repeating previous failures.

Thanks for sharing! It was an interesting read on the train home yesterday. I am sure the report will be referenced more extensively when Labour are ready to make more tangible announcements. The important thing is that there is an 'independent' paper already in the public domain which supports Labour's over-arching strategies (while not technically written in-house).

When Labour finally does release more detailed transport plans, it can use the Maier report as evidence rather than relying on work commissioned by the last Government (including one with Shapps in the name). Those earlier reports might have also had 'independent' input and industry support, but their final conclusions would have been significantly influenced by the parameters set by Government in terms of objectives, scope, sources/uses of funds etc.

I am pretty happy with the tone and spirit of the report as an arm-chair (aka amateur) urbanist and transport lover. I will continue to obsessively refresh my news apps and forum pages to see how it all gets implemented in future

 

[Dr Hoo]

Thanks to the OP for introducing this report. I've downloaded it for a fuller read.

For the TLDR (Too Long Didn't Read) brigade it is probably worth making clear that it is very multi-modal and largely urban focussed. Anyone looking for long lists of rail re-openings like Tavistock, Skipton-Colne, Woodhead or to Riccarton Junction may be disappointed.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Thanks for posting. I have downloaded and will read this weekend. I am all for reports but to use one of my favorite American expressions: "Time to walk the walk and not talk the talk" if government are serious.

 

[HSTEd]

I skimmed the report already, precious little in the way of numbers as far as I can tell.

I will probably dig through it some more but seems rather more of a wish list than anything.

EDIT: Doubling rails market share in a decade certainly isn't short on ambition, although arguably short on plausibility!

All we need is... Six or Seven Crossrail equivalents in a decade!

 

[eldomtom2]

Considering the Telegraph are making a lot of hay about this report somehow leading to the reinstatement of HS2 Phase 2 it's worth mentioning what it actually says about HS2 - while in the foreword Maier says that "we can’t leave the West Coast Main Line, and in tandem the M6, to collapse following the cancellation of High Speed 2 (HS2) north" all it says in terms of actual recommendations is that the government should "evaluate the optimum solution for better connecting Birmingham and Manchester", alongside other recommendations like committing to NPR in full and electrifying to Hull.

Mostly the report is focused on the construction of transport projects and how the procedures surrounding them can be changed for quicker and cheaper delivery - it doesn't say much about a vision for transport beyond saying the government should create one.

 

[Mikey C]

I skimmed the report already, precious little in the way of numbers as far as I can tell.

I will probably dig through it some more but seems rather more of a wish list than anything.

EDIT: Doubling rails market share in a decade certainly isn't short on ambition, although arguably short on plausibility!

All we need is... Six or Seven Crossrail equivalents in a decade!

It's a nonsense number, though if Labour wants to quickly increase rail numbers, then it needs to heavily discourage working from home, especially in the Civil Service, to increase the number of commuters back to where it was in 2019

 

[Magdalia]

Juergen Maier was tasked by the Labour Party in late 2023 to lead this review, which has now published its heavily Arup-ised report.

Thanks for this. I have been reading the report this morning.

a real problem is the way that long-term projects like HS2 get chopped around because of issues in the short-term economic cycle

it doesn't say much about a vision for transport beyond saying the government should create one

Having a long term vision is theme 1 A bold long-term vision and ambition for transport infrastructure.

However, if we continue doing what we've been doing, then none of it will happen.

the report is focused on the construction of transport projects and how the procedures surrounding them can be changed for quicker and cheaper delivery

For how to do things differently and better, see theme 2 Accelerating delivery of transport infrastructure across the nation, and theme 4
Getting the structures right for delivery.

This is madness, like defaulting on your mortgage so you can buy more sweets.

My undeducated guess is that the two ways this gets looked at are (i) new public/private models (link below mentions that) and also a rethink about how long-term capital investment debt is thought about to free it from the short term economic/electoral cycle.

New ways of financing are in theme 3 Harnessing the benefits of public private partnerships.

There is also a theme 5 The voice of Britain’s transport users and workforce should be reflected at the heart of transport plans.

Anyone looking for long lists of rail re-openings like Tavistock, Skipton-Colne, Woodhead or to Riccarton Junction may be disappointed.

I will probably dig through it some more but seems rather more of a wish list than anything.

The report is definitely not a wish list. Most of the references to specific projects are as case studies.

I am sure the report will be referenced more extensively when Labour are ready to make more tangible announcements. The important thing is that there is an 'independent' paper already in the public domain which supports Labour's over-arching strategies (while not technically written in-house).

When Labour finally does release more detailed transport plans, it can use the Maier report as evidence

It is a sign of good forward planning that the review was started while the government were still in opposition, instead of waiting until after they were elected.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

"Developing an infrastructure investment playbook to facilitate and leverage private investment for substantial improvements."

What a load of meaningless waffle! Why don't people who write these kind of reports use plain English? Why not just say "get companies to put money into public transport"?

 

[Magdalia]

Why not just say "get companies to put money into public transport"?

Because it means more than just that.

"Developing an infrastructure investment playbook to facilitate and leverage private investment for substantial improvements."

An infrastructure investment playbook is a series of options for combining public and private finance. It facilitates and leverages private investment by giving the private investors a lot more certainty, because they know that the government will be "playing by the book".

The audience for the statement is the potential private sector investors, they will know what it means.

 

[InTheEastMids]

"Developing an infrastructure investment playbook to facilitate and leverage private investment for substantial improvements."

What a load of meaningless waffle! Why don't people who write these kind of reports use plain English? Why not just say "get companies to put money into public transport"?

There are a number of other "playbooks" from Cabinet Office (Construction, Consultancy, Sourcing) that are designed to help public sector bodies buy more consistently and effectively so I guess if this is done it'll sit alongside these.

It is a sign of good forward planning that the review was started while the government were still in opposition

$64,000 question is whether any of the review's recommendations get carried through into policy and action. None of the review's findings should have come as bolts from the blue to anyone involved in infrastructure industries. Many on this forum will also recognise at least some of the issues in most or all of the major rail infra programmes that they are following and in some cases part of delivering.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Whilst it is a superficially appealing vision, to link ‘investment’ and ‘private industry’ alongside the UK’s planning system and financial plight to produce a doubling of rail market share by 2035 just isn’t going to happen.

I suppose that actually getting the private sector to fund the Euston HS2 station and tunnels in the Prime Minister’s own constituency would be be flagship start and hopefully kick the rest of the nation into gear.

I’m not holding my breath.

 

[Magdalia]

$64,000 question is whether any of the review's recommendations get carried through into policy and action.

Whilst it is a superficially appealing vision, to link ‘investment’ and ‘private industry’ alongside the UK’s planning system and financial plight to produce a doubling of rail market share by 2035 just isn’t going to happen.

Work has already started.

Theme 2 Accelerating delivery of transport infrastructure across the nation planning reform was in the King's speech now we wait for the draft bill.

Theme 4 Getting the structures right for delivery the quick wins are making better use of existing structures and I thought that the Metro Mayors meeting shortly after the election was an interesting "straw in the wind".

Theme 3 Harnessing the benefits of public private partnerships watch out for announcements in the Budget.

Theme 1 A bold long-term vision and ambition for transport infrastructure I'm not expecting much before the Lyons/Barker review on New Towns reports.

 

[SLC001]

Yet it appears not to address the issue of putting customers at the heart of everything the railways do. In my former profession the customer is at the forefront of everything that businesses must do. No excuses. The FCA has enshrined it into what they term Consumer Duty. We cannot have a situation where trains do not run or cannot be trusted to run because management and unions through a strop. Attitudes need to change because from the outside, our railways are not providing a service to the travelling public. I suspect the report, sponsored by Labour, has not addressed the elephant in the room.

 

[Magdalia]

Yet it appears not to address the issue of putting customers at the heart of everything the railways do.

theme 5 The voice of Britain’s transport users and workforce should be reflected at the heart of transport plans