March 2026
RIA members only: not for onward sharing
For further information please contact:
• Robert.cook@riagb.org.uk (Policy Director)
• James.McGowan@riagb.org.uk (PA/PR Director)
Q1 2026
Public affairs and stakeholder engagement
• Meeting with No.10 transport advisor Toby Lloyd
• Network Rail meetings:
• Jeremy Westlake, Chief Executive
• Paul McMahon, Director of Planning and Regulation
• Michael Clarke, Policy Director
• Calvin Lloyd, Long-Term Planning Director
• DfTO: Alex Hynes, Chief Executive
• HMT: rail spending team; NISTA
• Combined Authorities – various transport director meetings and partnership conference
• Competition and Markets Authority – input into rail & road civil engineering market study
• Meeting with Lord Hendy, Rail Minister, Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, and Connor Naismith MP, about Crewe Station
• Upcoming roundtable with Richard Tice MP, Deputy Leader of Reform UK, 14 May (see RIA events page to book)
Strategic RIA communications
• Regular proactive and reactive comments in trade and national media
o Northern Powerhouse Rail, HS2, Infrastructure Pipeline
• RIA’s Eighteen-month assessment of Government’s progress on rail
• The Transport Select Committee published reports on boom and bust and the Railways Bill, which drew on RIA’s work – see our summaries of the key themes
• RIA participated in the Greens Signals podcast episode ‘The Railways Bill – Will it Work?’
• RIA Submission to Competition and Markets Authority rail and road civil engineering market study
• RIA comment on HS2 “Update“
Network Rail: Work pipeline visibility
• RIA is working with Network Rail and other trade associations to secure improvements in Network Rail’s pipeline reporting and communications. RIA recently attended the Network Rail Executive Leadership Team and stressed the need for clear and transparent communication of work to suppliers, to enable them to plan their businesses. The supplier survey we ran last year (showing serious concerns about visibility) has now been widely socialised within Network Rail’s commercial profession. It will be repeated again in the next quarter.
• Network Rail quarterly data updates (available here) showing the procurement pipeline and framework spend are improving in quality and coverage in response to specific feedback RIA has provided, though gaps still remain, and crucially businesses have still been experiencing short notice changes in workbanks. Improving workbank visibility is now the top priority.
• RIA has been tracking Network Rail spending trends (see this briefing last year); and highlighting the large shifts in spending in certain categories – with lessons for communication right through the supply chain. As we finish Year 2 of CP7 RIA will review the spending trends again.
• Read RIA’s summary of the latest Network Rail quarterly call 3 February here. RIA has shared member feedback on the call with Network Rail. The next quarterly call on 1 June will have Richard George, new Chair of Network Rail attending (the event will be listed on the events page shortly).
Combined Authorities Infrastructure Partnership
• RIA is participating in the Combined Authorities Infrastructure Partnership of 11 Mayoral Combined Authorities, looking at ways to improve infrastructure delivery, and develop new approaches.
• RIA took part in the annual conference on 17 March, hosting a fireside chat with the West Yorkshire CA Transport Director.
• So far the initiative has brought together a large number of public and private sector parties in a collaborative forum.
• The MCAs are running three workstreams to develop proposals:
o Procurement and Contractual Models (RIA rep Robert.Cook@riagb.org.uk )
o Project and Programme Planning (RIA rep Dominic.Poole@riagb.org.uk )
o Skills, Capabilities and Resourcing (RIA rep Reuben.Bull@riagb.org.uk )
• RIA is participating in each workstream and will report back. Members are welcome to input via RIA representative or we can connect you directly.
Railways Bill - Schedule 2
Planned public affairs activity
• Under Schedule 2 of the Bill, a future Secretary of State for Transport would be able to withdraw funding from the established 5-year Funding Periods (formerly known as Control Periods) without notice or supervision.
• Key Ask: Protect five-year rail funding so it is no less certain than at present.
• We have raised concerns with the DfT and HMT.
• RIA Q2/Q3 planned steps:
o Phase 1: Build awareness & support within the industry; mobilising RIA members
o Phase 2: Brief and engage member of the House of Lords
o Phase 3: Target key Treasury stakeholders
Private & third party investment
• To explore options for leveraging private and third-party investment into rail, in January, RIA held a workshop with corporate finance teams across DfT, TfL, Network Rail, as well as NISTA and industry experts. The readout is available here.
• There was strong endorsement for further work to develop place-based investment models and RIA’s Station Investment Zone proposal. This mirrors interest from Combined Authorities, TfW and DfT in the proposal.
• RIA will be speaking at UKREIIF on the proposals, and holding a Future of Rail Investment fringe event at our Leeds office on 20th May.
• Government remains interested in exploring options for private investment (e.g. looking at a PPP for the Euston area redevelopment). The fiscal rules now make Government lending and equity investment easier. The Office for National Statistics has also designated the Welsh Mutual Investment Model “off balance sheet” (i.e. it does not increase national debt statistics) – this has potential to be applied more widely in the UK rail sector.
GB rail-related strategies and plans
Long-term rail strategy (Integrated)
National Transport Strategy
Due shortly, from DfT
Infrastructure
Pipeline
DfT consultation during summer
[RIA will respond with member feedback]
Long-term rolling stock and infrastructure strategy
DfT publication due "summer“
[RIA member workshop with DfT Friday 15th May]
Updated 2x per year by NISTA
Rail Network
Enhancements
Pipeline Publication unclear!
GBR business plan
Before start of Funding Period 1 (April 2029)
NISTA Infrastructure Pipeline
Comparing the rail pipeline data published in July 2025 and the March 2026 update. Read our RIA member briefing here. The
July 2025 March 2026 (improvements shown in green, concerns in yellow)
Rail Whole Pipeline
Rail ‘events’ timeline
Government
Department for Transport
Great British Railways
• Competition and Markets Authority Civil Engineering Market Study Final Report to Government (with recommendations)
• King’s Speech (May)
• Integrated National Transport Strategy
• Long-term rolling stock and infrastructure strategy (‘summer’ publication)
• Next NISTA Infrastructure Pipeline Update
• HS2 "reset“ announcement expected
• Long Term Rail Strategy expected consultation
• Autumn Budget
• Chair of GBR appointed following final interviews
• GBR Chief Executive recruitment could begin
TOC transfers
• Govia Thameslink Railway transferred to public ownership
RIA
(full events listing here)
• Great Western Railway transferred to public ownership
• Chiltern transferred to public ownership
• Railways Bill expected to receive Royal Assent by end 2026
• GBR established by end of 2027
• East Midlands Railway transferred to public ownership
• Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry transferred to public ownership
• Roundtable with Richard Tice MP, Reform UK 14 May
• Future of Rail: Investment @ UKREIIF 20 May
• NR quarterly call 1 June
• Future of Rail Freight: Growth, Innovation and Delivery, 8 July
• Future of Rail: Devolution 16 September
• InnoTrans, Berlin
• RIA Annual Conference
• Future of Rail: Passenger Experience 21 Oct
• Future of Rail: Intercity & High Speed 1 Dec