Rail took centre-stage during the local election campaign when Labour
and the Conservatives slugged it out over which was more supportive.
Tory leader David Cameron promised to put rail "at the heart of
Britain's transport system", and stressed the environmental benefits.
He listed his top priorities as studies for a high-speed link, closer
integration of track and train, and light rail in cities. Labour
claimed the Tories were making unfunded spending promises. Such a focus
on rail's positive benefits has not been seen for decades.
The Tories did not want to talk about rail for a long time, because
they knew awkward questions would be raised about their privatisation.
But those days are now gone, and Mr Cameron is putting pressure on the
Government.
That is partly because overcrowding on commuter routes has become a
major problem for many of the Conservatives' natural supporters.
Mr Cameron is also keen to be seen as green, and has come up with a
radical plan to tax air travel that has gone well beyond Government
strategy.
He does not want to be seen as anti-motorist, insisting: "I am not
anti-car. I am anti-pollution and anti-congestion."
But he said of his new transport policy, which he launched in Leeds:
"First - and most important - it puts rail at the heart of Britain's
transport
system.
"If we are to meet our international obligations on climate change, it
is clear that we need a major increase in rail use. Trains are the most
environmentally effective way of getting around," he said.
"We know that there is room for expansion in the current transport
budget. The Government is due to receive significant extra funds after
the recent franchise auctions - mostly paid for by passengers through
their fares.
"We think it is an urgent priority for that money to be spent on
tackling overcrowding. If the Government finally takes decisions about
key projects like Thameslink and Birmingham New Street, they will have
our support.
"And I give a commitment that if we are in Government after 2009 or
2010, we will complete these improvements and look at ways of further
enhancing our rail network."
Mr Cameron said the Tories were "doing the detailed feasibility work to
re-integrate trains and tracks, to introduce a new generation of
high-speed trains and to develop light rail networks in our major
cities."
However, transport secretary Douglas Alexander accused Mr Cameron of
promising an unfunded spending pledge, despite repeated warnings from
his shadow Chancellor George Osborne.
Mr Alexander said: "The Labour government has already pledged 1,000 extra carriages on the rail network.
"Labour has doubled spending on transport infrastructure since 1997. We
have invested in the rail network, delivering projects such as the West
Coast main line upgrade and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
"Until the Conservatives come clean and stop making unfunded spending
pledges, these announcements amount to little more than policy
posturing."
Labour highlighted an email, leaked the day before the policy launch,
from Mr Osborne's advisor Mike Hancock to shadow transport secretary
Chris Grayling, that warned there must be a "clear statement that there
is no new taxpayers' money available in DC's statement".
That was embarrassing, and the arguments over how the Conservatives
will pay for their policy will rumble on all the way to the next
General Election in 2009.
But it is clear that rail will continue to take centre-stage in
politics in a positive way, which has to be an advance on previous
decades.