Ever wondered how certain rail schemes get the go-ahead, whilst you sit on an overcrowded or late train starved of investment? Well so do we.  That’s why it’s good news that Chris Grayling, the Secretary of State for Transport, has announced a new process for major upgrades to the rail network.

in a departure from the previous approach, the government will allocate funds separately for major upgrades following a new process to ensure they are deliverable and secure the best value for money for the tax payer. This new process will be set out in more detail later this year.

This is something WLR has been calling for, to give more transparency and rigour to assessment, reducing the influence of lobbying and vested interests, as reported in Thames Valley Property a few days ago.