by Douglas Tonge, Publisher of Rail Supplies Direct
January 2007

The years of a declining and under funded railway are now past; rail is flourishing. Since the first private train operator ran the first passenger journey in February 1996, the vast investment in rail is paying off and Britain now has the fastest growing railway in Europe.

Network Rail and the train operating companies have achieved this as a result of their combined efforts. In its 2006 business plan Network Rail set out the company's achievements since 2002 and outlined its ambition to continue to grow the railway. The 2006 spend of £5.6 billion represented a 6% increase over 2005.

Train operators are now running more modern rolling stock and showing real commitment to customer service. Midland Mainline won thePassenger Operator of the Year award and Virgin is continuing to attract more passengers to its services with reduced journey times to London on the upgraded West Coast Main Line and the introduction of its Primo catering services.

However other areas are still in need of improvement. Passengers give travel in London a rating of 'poor' (particularly for crowding). Transport for London has developed 'Transport 2025' to define solutions for London's travel needs. In addition the huge investment in the public transport system for the 2012 Olympics will also benefit the system.

Train punctuality now stands at its highest level for six years, achieving 90% in the first half of 2006. Nearly 20,000 passenger services a day serving 2,500 stations are carrying an ever increasing number of passengers. As rail travel is a relatively 'green' form of transport, this is good for the environment as well as being essential to alleviate pressure on our overcrowded road system.

Now the challenge for the future is to ensure that increasing passenger numbers can be accommodated and the system doesn't run out of capacity.