New proposals for Great British Railways would be biggest change to rail network for 25 years

A new plan for Britain’s rail network was unveiled earlier this week (Thursday 20 May) by government, in what would be the biggest change to our railways for 25 years.

The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail outlines that a new public body, Great British Railways (GBR), will integrate the railways, owning the infrastructure, collecting fare revenue, running and planning the network, and setting most fares and timetables.

Under the proposals, Network Rail, the current infrastructure owner, will be absorbed into this new organisation, as will many functions from the Rail Delivery Group and Department for Transport.

The report says Great British Railways will 'simplify the current confusing mass of tickets', standardise mobile and online ticketing, bring an end to the need to queue for paper tickets and that trains will 'be better co-ordinated with other forms of transport'.

In most cases, continues the report, Great British Railways will contract with private companies to operate trains to the timetable and fares it specifies, in a way similar to that used by Transport for London (TfL) on its successful Overground and bus networks. Operators will compete for the contracts and competition is expected to be 'far greater' than for the old franchises.

Making railways more efficient with 'punctual and reliable' services is another aim of the plan, alongside growing the network.

Under the strategy, tens of billions of pounds will be invested into 'more electrification, new and reopened lines and a rail revolution'.

 

 

Grant Shapps Transport Secretary said: “Our railways were born and built to serve this country, to forge stronger connections between our communities and provide people with an affordable, reliable and rapid service. Years of fragmentation, confusion and over-complication have seen that vision fade and passengers failed. That complicated and broken system ends today.

“The pandemic has seen the government take unprecedented steps to protect services and jobs. It’s now time to kickstart reforms that give the railways solid and stable foundations for the future, unleashing the competitive, innovative and expert abilities of the private sector, and ensuring passengers come first.

“Great British Railways marks a new era in the history of our railways. It will become a single familiar brand with a bold new vision for passengers – of punctual services, simpler tickets and a modern and green railway that meets the needs of the nation.”

Furthermore, a new national flexi season ticket will be on sale this summer, with potential savings of hundreds of pounds a year for 2 and 3 day-a-week commuters. Tickets will be on sale on 21 June, ready for use on 28 June.

Tim Wood, Transport for the North’s Interim Chief Executive, said: “This is a major national moment and a shift in how the railway is run. But this national approach must not be a missed opportunity for further devolution, giving the North’s leaders greater oversight of services and infrastructure investment to deliver more integrated regional networks that work for all.

“The North saw first-hand the effects of a fragmented rail industry during the 2018 timetable crisis. The fact that Great British Railways will bring track and train together as the guiding mind and put the needs of passengers first is a giant leap forward and something we’ve championed.

“As an established and effective partnership in the North of England, Transport for the North will collaboratively engage with Government as it begins to work through the detail and we stand ready to drive positive change in the interest of our passengers.”

Mr Wood continued: “We welcome commitment to simpler and more flexible fares given the way people travel is changing. More flexible ticketing is a good start on the journey to creating a ‘London-style’ pay as you go system, but fares in the North must also offer good value if we’re to level up.

“The delivery of billions of pounds of investment; new and reopened lines and more electrification can’t come soon enough.”

 

 

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “I broadly welcome these reforms and believe they could bring some much-needed sense and stability to what has felt in recent times like a chaotic railway. Rail privatisation as we have known it is over and there won’t be many tears shed in Greater Manchester about that. But we do have concerns that this move back to a centrally-controlled railway could weaken the powers of the North over our railway and we are seeking reassurances from the Transport Secretary that this will not be the case.

“It is important to remember that Northern Mayors and Leaders led calls for change following the timetable chaos in May 2018. We said enough was enough, demanded a better rail service here and this is a significant response to that call. While these changes are clearly a sizeable step in the right direction, they do appear to fall short of what the Prime Minister promised at the Convention of the North in 2019 - notably devolved control of services and stations.

“In Greater Manchester, we want that local control so we can deliver a London-style public transport system by the end of the decade. We hope that these proposals will not cut across that vision and want to work with the Transport Secretary and the new Great British Railways to deliver it.”