Rail system to go back into public hands with creation of Great British Railways

The new body will oversee trains and track but will contract private firms to run services

A train leaves Newcastle Central Station (Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

Control of the ��Ƶ rail system will be brought under a new public sector body as part of a much-delayed report on the future of rail.

Great British Railways (GBR) will own and manage rail infrastructure, issue contracts to private firms to run trains, set most fares and timetables, and sell tickets, the Department for Transport has revealed.

The new body - which will absorb Network Rail in a bid to end the current “blame-game system” between train and track operations when disruption occurs - has been outlined in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail.

The plans come in a review of the industry carried out by former British Airways chief executive Keith Williams following the introduction of new timetables in May 2018 that caused huge disruption, especially in the North.

The plan was initially due to be published in autumn 2019 but was delayed by the general election and the coronavirus pandemic.

Proposals in the plan have received a cautious welcome, though there has already been criticism they do not go far enough.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “I am a great believer in rail, but for too long passengers have not had the level of service they deserve.

“By creating Great British Railways, and investing in the future of the network, this Government will deliver a rail system the country can be proud of.”

GBR is not expected to be established until 2023. Its logo will be an updated version of British Rail’s double arrow.

Many reforms will be brought before the body is launched. Flexible season tickets will be introduced, offering savings on certain routes for people who travel to work two or three times a week.

There will also be a “significant roll out” of more pay as you go, contactless and digital ticketing on smartphones, the Department for Transport said.

Rail franchises were effectively ended when the Government took over the financial liabilities of operators in March 2020 to keep services running amid the collapse in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic, at a cost of £10bn.

The emergency agreements will be replaced by passenger service contracts, with GBR contracting private firms to operate trains.

The new body will specify most of the timetables and fares, with operators incentivised to run high-quality services and increase passenger numbers.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Britain’s railways were built to “forge stronger connections” and provide “an affordable, reliable and rapid service”, but passengers have been failed by “years of fragmentation, confusion and over-complication”.

The report has been welcomed by Maria Machancoses, CEO of transport body Midlands Connect, who said: “This raft of changes is what the rail industry and its passengers have been waiting for, and if implemented correctly, could have huge benefits for travellers.

“By specifying timetables, service levels and operating standards, this concession model will reward operators for delivering what passengers want most – trains that run on time, friendly service and clean stations.”

But Tim Wood, Transport for the North’s interim chief executive, said: “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.

“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."

And Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “While the principle of local control set out today is the right one, without fully involving our metro mayors and civic leaders, there is a risk of Northern services failing to meet what we need to drive our economic growth.

“Not going far enough on devolving control to Northern leaders, such as through Transport for the North, is a recipe for disaster and we will be making firm representations to government on the need to go further on devolving the North’s railways.”

The Aslef rail union has described the plan as “deeply disappointing”.