Transport Secretary launches rail reform era

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has unveiled the first steps to setting up the new body responsible for the country’s rail network - Great British Railways (GBR).

The launch of Shadow Great British Railways (Shadow GBR) is part of the Public Ownership Bill, which has now reached the final stages in the Commons. It is the first major piece of legislation to do since Labour took power in July.

The bill will mean a significant shift in how the railway is governed in the country with a new entity created bringing together leaders from the Department for Transport, Network Rail, and publicly owned operators. The shadow body will be tasked with establishing GBR, and will oversee the rail network’s return to public ownership as well as being responsible for both services and infrastructure.

Haigh made the public ownership bill a central piece of her promise to transform the country’s rail network when campaigning before the election. The bill, the government argues, will reverse what it sees as decades of delays, cancellations, and unreliable services under the previous government.

Commenting on the launch, Haigh said: “Today, I am firing the starting gun on the biggest reforms to our railways in a generation. I am determined to end the chaos, delay and disruption faced by people on train journeys every day.

“Establishing Shadow Great British Railways marks a significant step towards delivering a unified railway with passengers at its heart by bringing together track and train, and by progressing the Passenger Railways Services Bill we’re one step closer to public ownership which will help put our railways back on track.”

Further measures have also been announced by the Transport Secretary including a new “Rail Sale” ticketing initiative which will tie in with the 200th anniversary of the country’s passenger railways. The sale will see ticket prices slashed by up to 50% for a specific period; however no date has been set yet.

Additionally, tap-in tap-out technology will be rolled out at 45 more stations next year after a £27 million pound investment from the government. This follows from tap-in tap-out technology being installed in 47 stations across the southeast which is due to launch later this month.

The plan has however received criticism. Andy Bagnall, chief executive of Rail Partners, said: "When the government is facing huge financial challenges, it is counterintuitive to remove the only part of the rail system with a track record of driving growth and reducing subsidy for taxpayers – nationalisation could be costing taxpayers £1 billion per year by the end of this Parliament."

Bagnall also criticised the government’s plan as a political decision without many practical benefits.

Haigh added: “This Government will direct every penny into creating a stronger, more reliable rail network that works for everyone.

“This is about making the railways work for the people that use them – putting passengers first and driving up performance.”