UK government today (5 November) introduced legislation to Parliament to create Great British Railways (GBR), a new, publicly owned company to run the country’s passenger services.

The Railways Bill has now been introduced to Parliament, legislation that aims to rewire Britain’s railways, including setting up a passenger watchdog to give passengers a voice and hold train operators to account.

Described by government as a “once in a generation overhaul”, GBR will bring track and train together, delivering reliable services for passengers and catalysing growth across the country.

Transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said the country’s railways needed “urgent reform” adding the need for changes was “laid bare” in the thousands of responses to its consultation – which was launched in February of this year.

Publishing the consultation response, A Railway Fit for Britain’s Future, she said an affordable and reliable railway that passengers could count on and makes the most of taxpayers’ money was needed, added it must be “a railway fit for Britain’s future”.

She said: “Passengers feel abandoned – forced to treat delays, cancellations and poor value for money as unavoidable facts of daily life. Meanwhile, a broken, outdated model is holding the railway back, stopping it from unlocking the growth our country needs and delivering the efficiency taxpayers rightly expect.”

Under the proposals GBR will bring together the work of 17 different organisations – from train operators to public bodies, government and the regulator – eliminating unnecessary duplication and creating a single organisation responsible for operating, maintaining and improving railways.

GBR will be underpinned by a clear set of statutory duties – including those relating to passengers and accessibility, rail freight and social and economic benefits – as well as an overarching strategic direction set by the government. This approach will enable GBR to make decisions with a whole-system view, optimising network use and utilising opportunities such as open access to make the most of constrained capacity.

It will simplify fares and ticketing and consolidate the ticket retailing operations of 14 separate train companies – each with their own websites and apps – into a single GBR ticketing platform.

A new GBR app and website will make it easy to purchase tickets, check train times and access a range of support all in one place. 

The bill will pave the way for creating a powerful voice for passengers, with a passenger watchdog responsible for setting tough standards and, where these are not met, investigating issues and resolving disputes. It will protect and advocate for all passengers’ interests and rights, offer advice and independently monitor passenger experience, reporting on its findings publicly and transparently.

Devolved ministers in Scotland and Wales will also have an enhanced role, with bespoke arrangements to ensure GBR is able to deliver an integrated national network across Great Britain.

In parallel, government has also published an Accessibility Roadmap – which sets out the accessibility improvements being delivered ahead the creation of GBR  with the aim of creating a more inclusive and accessible rail network.

Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, said: “As minister for rail, I am proud to lead this work. I’ve spent my career in transport, and I know that an accessible railway works better for everyone. This roadmap is a step forward. GBR will take us further. Together, we will build a railway that is inclusive, accountable, and fit for the future.”

Click here to read the full consultation response.