Improving public transport in England through light rail : eleventh report of session 2004-05, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence

This report looks at the Department for Transports approach to light rail systems, the delivery of expected benefits and the cost.

So far seven systems have been built since 1980 that have cost the Department GBP 1.2 billion.

They have improved public transport but have failed to deliver all of the anticipated benefits, in part because of lack of integration.

The Government envisaged that 25 new lines could be built by 2010, however it has left local authorities to determine whether light rail is appropriate in their areas and the Department has not prioritised in value for money terms which schemes should be allocated funds.

The weaknesses in the current approach mean that planning and approval take too long; there is a lack of standardisation; diverting utilities pushes up costs; some ultra lightweight technologies fall below the cost threshold for support and there has been too little attention paid to the financial viability of some schemes.