Kevin Rowan column

Dec 12 2005 By Kevin Rowan, The Journal

It is uncanny that in the 24 hours at the end of last week there was: a protest against cutting rail services in the region, headlines about `eye-watering' price increases on GNER, road congestion in the region at its most severe levels to date, the Audit Commission exposing a missed target for increasing bus travel.

And a UN summit failing (after 11 days!) to reach agreement on ways to tackle climate change when the CO2 emissions from air travel are at an all-time high as passenger demand continues to grow!

That's a lot of coincidences. Conspiracy theorists specialising in transport may never enjoy such an opportunity again.

Others may conclude this is an inevitable consequence of market failure, those particularly interested in rail may point in the direction of privatisation of the rail industry.

For me, it certainly highlights the severe need for increased investment in that mode of transport, experience which backs up Transport 2000's assertion that `Britain's railways are now more important than at any period in the last 50 years'.

Economically, socially and environmentally, investment in rail services and infrastructure is critical to easing the pressures leading to the convergence of crises outlined above, it is also at a crucial moment.

Parts of the rail network are already at capacity, others areas will soon reach that point. Passenger journeys last year exceeded one billion, the highest numbers since 1959, and it is predicted that those numbers will grow by two thirds by 2015.

Freight on rail, too, is at its highest level for 20 years. Better rail services would ease road congestion.

Nexus director general Mike Parker's assertion is right, it is necessary to make it less easy to drive into the centre of town.

But this must be predicated on better public transport provision, especially better rail services within the region, rail can cater for much larger flows of people than other forms of public transport.

The Northern Way Growth Plan identifies inter and intra-regional transport links as critical to economic growth.

Yet there are no plans to develop Northern Rail Services. Environmentally, socially and economically the transport system is failing. Time for a political solution I think.

Kevin Rowan is regional secretary of the Northern TUC.