Transport Insights

I’ve previously raised the question about whether the government is putting sufficient cash into our transport networks to fund climate change adaption, with ministers often just saying they are putting in more money rather than asserting that it’s enough.

But a new written parliamentary answer from transport minister Keir Mather doesn’t even bother to address the question of whether there will be more money.

Asked by Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will provide additional funding to help mitigate ongoing soil moisture deficit effects for railway companies.

Mather gave a long and rambling reply on behalf of Heidi Alexander that began with a description of the problem…

The Department for Transport funds Network Rail to operate, maintain, and develop the nation’s railway infrastructure. As the climate changes, we expect to see hotter, drier summers, and therefore we will expect to encounter more instances of soil moisture deficit.

Continued with a discussion of what might help…

To plan for the changing climate, Network Rail is undertaking a programme of adaptation pathways across the network to develop a long-term strategic adaptation plan and identify priority areas for further adaptation investment. This approach will help identify those parts of the network which may require work to increase resilience to enable safe and reliable services to continue in the future climate. 

And made only a vague reference to the issue of funding…

This work is already informing discussions for future funding periods.

Not only were the (plural) funding periods not defined, there was no indication that discussions would lead to more funding for the necessary adaptation investment – a bit like how National Highways set out a plan for addressing the worst runoff from its network without any promise of funding it.

But then, Lord Hendy has previously said, rail is getting all the cash it needs, so there should be no problem.