CBI survey reveals importance of rail - and calls for investment

With more than 80% of businesses regarding rail as being crucial or important to their operations, the Confederation of British Industry is calling for greater action to increase capacity, increased or maintained infrastructure investment, and greater clarity of how HS2 fits into wider plans for the UK rail network.

The findings were revealed in the CBI’s Infrastructure Survey 2016, conducted by AECOM, which found that 81% of respondents described rail as being critical or important to their businesses. That figure applied to the importance of inter-city and commuter rail, with almost half the companies surveyed describing rail freight as “crucial” or “beneficial”.

• For more on this, read RAIL 787, published on November 11.