Funding roadblock

IT is now accepted that a high-speed rail network will form the backbone of Britain's future transport strategy. The outstanding issues are the line's precise route – and the funding. These could take several years to reconcile, especially given the concerns expressed about the route's possible impact on the countryside.

Yet, while high-speed rail's onset will help to reduce journey times between major cities, it will not help the chronic overcrowding on commuter lines – or the growing levels of gridlock on the roads.

To their credit, the Liberal Democrats recognise this and have unveiled ambitious plans to reopen thousands of miles of railway track and stations across the country in what they said would be the biggest expansion of the network since the Victorian era. Their plans also include electrifying the main trans-Pennine route from York and Leeds to Manchester.

Unlike so many policies that are being unveiled in this pre-election hiatus, they have also said how this programme will be financed. Their intention is to switch 3bn to the railways from the roads budget.

Yet, in doing so, the Liberal Democrats fail to appreciate that the road network is already at breaking point and also requires urgent investment. Diverting money away from this budget is not a viable proposition, especially as transport spending is likely to be squeezed after the election.

As such, it brings the debate back to the one question that is still unanswered: how can improvements be funded when public spending will have to be scaled back so dramatically after the election? And, having backed away from the notion, will the concept of road tolls soon be back on the political agenda?