By Ashley Karen
AHEAD of the next general election that must take place before January 28, 2025, and is widely envisioned to be held next year, HS1 Ltd. has issued its manifesto for growth in the rail sector in Britain and on the high-speed line that it works between London and the Channel Tunnel.
HS1 Ltd. has a 30-year honor to own and operate High Speed 1, comprising its stations at London St Pancras, Stratford, Ebbsfleet, and Ashford. It was achieved by a consortium of funds advised and managed by InfraRed Capital Partners and Equitix Investment Management in July 2017.
The manifesto sets out specific policy interventions that the future government could make to guarantee that the rail sector can recover to direct national efforts to provide economic growth and decarbonize transport.
HS1 Ltd. claims that the rail sector is pivotal to driving enhanced connectivity to economic hubs, providing growth for the British economy, and expanding the use of more environmentally friendly forms of transport.
However, with rail facing considerable financial pressures and changing consumer travel habits as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent widespread industrial action on the national network, HS1 Ltd. expresses that the sector “now more than ever” requires direct support to help it return to growth and build a rail system that is fit for the future.
The manifesto sets out nine critical priorities for a new government, which incorporate capitalizing on a growing shift in public opinion in favor of environmentally friendly travel by financially supporting trials of sustainability-focused plans, such as a “green miles” rewards program.
In addition, HS1 Ltd declares that to provide better access to stations, connectivity between modes should be improved. Rail use should be incentivized via better ticketing, with the government working with the industry to generate new and innovative ticketing options that reflect new travel habits.
HS1 Ltd. is turning to its core business of operating the high-speed line between the Channel Tunnel and London and claims that the new government should facilitate frictionless travel and reduce risks associated with the European Union’s (EU) Entry/Exit Scheme (EES) introduction.
Entry/Exit Scheme will need holders of non-EU passports to finish longer in-person checks at the Schengen border. HS1 Ltd. has earlier articulated that processing time under EES will be more than 130 seconds per passenger, compared to only under 50 seconds now.
Moreover, the manifesto calls for government support for new international routes from London and new operators. Eurostar has been the only international operator on HS1 and via the Channel Tunnel since the latter opening in 1994, and the aspirations of other operators such as Renfe of Spain and German Rail (DB) to enter the market have so far been unrealized.
HS1 Ltd. wants the next British government to reintroduce the VAT Retail Export Scheme to raise the number of tourists visiting Britain from outside the EU and help the recovery of the domestic retail sector.
Returning specifically to HS1, the manifesto expresses that the new government should raise passenger numbers by committing to work with operators and to hold them accountable for growing traffic on their services.
The domestic services recovery on HS1 should be supported by guaranteeing the long-term viability of the operator. Southeastern is operating domestic services from London St Pancras and was taken under government control in October 2021 following the discovery of financial irregularities on the part of franchise holder Govia.
Completing the manifesto’s nine-point schedule is a call for the next government to deliver HS1 with more significant regulatory innovation as a test bed for indicating how greater freedom to innovate can benefit the rail network.
HS1 Ltd. CEO, Ms. Dyan Perry, pointed out: “With the rail sector being integral to boosting growth across Britain and achieving Britain’s net-zero transport objectives, it is absolutely fundamental that the next government prioritizes the delivery of support to the rail sector that helps support its growth.”
She added: “Through our manifesto launched today, we have set out the key policies the government must adopt to provide the necessary support to the rail sector to help it recapture growth once again.”
