London North Eastern Railway (LNER) can play a key role in the UK’s recovery from the pandemic according to report from Steer.
The report shows the economic, social and environmental benefits LNER services between London and the Scottish Highlands bring to the UK.
The report also reveals the additional benefits LNER can provide with its planned service improvements in the coming years.
Steer’s report shows that LNER services are worth £2bn to the UK per year and every £1 spent running and investing in LNER services at least £2 is generated in economic impact.
An additional £0.83 is generated in wider societal impacts.
Local economies also benefit from LNER services.
LNER services add over £665m to local economies from businesses varying from creative services to cleaning.
Future service improvements by LNER will further contribute to the UK economy.
The improvements will see LNER’s annual impact increase from £2bn to between £2.1bn and £2.2bn.
The environmental benefits are also high when choosing rail over air or car travel.
Travelling on LNER services has meant that there have been 864,000 fewer journeys by plane and 240,000 fewer car journeys per annum.
Overall this saves over 170,000 tonnes of carbon per year.
David Horne, LNER Managing Director explained the role LNER have in aiding the country’s pandemic recovery.
Mr Horne said: “This independent report confirms that LNER has a crucial role to play in the UK’s recovery – levelling up the country and helping it reach net zero.
“Whether it is our services, employment, procurement from local suppliers or partnerships with charities, every choice we make has the potential to create new opportunities for the towns and cities we serve in England and Scotland.
“Our plans for the future, including additional long-distance services, will increase our economic, societal and environmental contribution much further.
“It is also clear that encouraging more people to choose rail over other less environmentally friendly options will be crucial if the UK is to meet its net-zero ambitions.”
