The government is set to unveil plans for a new bill to revolutionise Britain’s railways that will materialise Great British Railways (GBR) as a new body to deliver reliable train services for the nation.
A new consultation today (18th February 2025) has seen these plans outlined, with the government determined to put an end to times of slow, unreliable services, major failures and disruptions, and overall inefficiency. Under the new plans, devolved leaders are expected to have more of a say on the services that run through their towns and cities, collaborating to integrate transport and attracting more passengers.
The consultation will give direction and shape to establishing GBR, as well as also looking at far-reaching reforms and how GBR will interact with the industry to effectively implement its plans to drive up standards on the rails, boost the economy, and delivering standards the public have been waiting for.
A new independent watchdog will ensure that GBR addresses the issues that have consistently featured highest among passenger complaints, making sure that the biggest problems are monitored and rooted out. Operators will therefore be held accountable on behalf of passengers and the watchdog will collaborate with the transport secretary and GBR to set clear standards for passengers things like journey information and assistance.
The private sector supply chain will see billions of pounds of investment, so that network improvements are coordinated, and giving longer-term assurance to businesses.
Secretary of state for transport, Heidi Alexander, said: “Passengers have put up with broken railways for far too long. This landmark reform will sweep away decades of failure, creating a Great British Railways passengers can rely on.
“We’re giving passengers a powerful voice with a new watchdog dedicated to addressing their biggest concerns, building railways people can trust, improving our services and boosting the economy in the process — the priority in our Plan for Change.”
This comes alongside other reforms set to revolutionise public transport, such as simplifying fares through Pay As You Go ticketing, and the Public Ownership Act, which achieved Royal Assent last year.
A railway fit for Britain’s future consultation starts today and will last for eight weeks.
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Simon Dancer is a Board Member of the Institute of Economic Development, and a Director at AMION Consulting.
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