This week marks a decisive shift in rail policy. The government has introduced the Railways Bill to Parliament – landmark legislation that will create Great British Railways (GBR), a new publicly owned organisation designed to bring track and train back under one coordinated structure. After years of white papers, consultations and political delay, the Bill is the clearest signal yet that the government is serious about simplifying Britain’s railways and rebuilding public trust.
The Bill, laid in Parliament on 5 November, forms the centrepiece of the government’s Plan for Change. It promises a simpler, more unified railway that puts passengers before profits, with GBR coordinating the whole network from infrastructure to services, cost and revenue. The government says the new structure will deliver easier journeys, better value for money and a relentless focus on reliability. GBR will be headquartered in Derby – a symbolic nod to the city’s rail heritage and the effort to distribute economic opportunity beyond London.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the legislation as “a major step towards a rail network that supports Britain’s businesses and delivers for the travelling public – paving the way for economic growth and access to opportunity across the country.” It is the kind of statement rail leaders have heard before, but this time the machinery to make it happen is being legislated for, not simply promised.
The Bill also introduces several important features that go beyond structural reform. A strengthened passenger watchdog will act as the voice of customers, with powers to investigate poor service and demand improvements. This responds directly to the perception that existing complaint channels are too fragmented to drive accountability. The watchdog’s remit will include accessibility, customer service and value for money – a step toward giving passengers clearer redress when performance dips.
GBR will also take on a new statutory duty to grow rail freight. Freight operators have long called for a longer-term strategic framework, with certainty over capacity allocation and timetabling. The Bill’s provisions give freight a seat at the planning table, aligning commercial certainty with the UK’s wider decarbonisation and supply chain goals. That link between passenger and freight policy has often been missing; GBR’s integrated remit offers the best chance yet to align them.
Fare and ticketing reform sits at the heart of the new vision. The government has confirmed that GBR will create a single website and app to replace 14 separate operator platforms – effectively a one-stop shop for journey planning, booking and payment. This will expand on Pay As You Go and flexible fares trials already underway. It’s a practical change that, if implemented well, could finally demystify rail pricing and modernise how customers buy and manage tickets. Passengers will still be able to purchase tickets at stations and onboard trains, ensuring accessibility for all.
For many passengers, the appeal of a “simpler railway” is less about who owns it and more about whether trains run on time and fares make sense. The new Bill claims to answer both by embedding accountability and rationalising ticketing.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, welcomed the legislation as “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make trains more reliable and tickets easier to use, with clearer accountability for passengers and greater confidence in every journey.”
He also highlighted the importance of devolved powers, saying city regions should have a statutory role in joining up trains, buses, trams and cycling routes – a view widely shared by devolved governments.
Devolution is indeed another defining feature of the Bill. It gives mayors and devolved administrations a bigger say in how rail is run locally, allowing them to influence service patterns and integration with other modes. The Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, called it “a significant step forward in our collaborative approach to rail reform,” welcoming the potential for a more joined-up, passenger-focused network across the UK.
Accessibility is another headline. Alongside the Bill, the government is publishing a new accessibility roadmap, including expanded eligibility for the Disabled Persons Railcard, the wider rollout of ‘welcome points’ across stations, better staff training and upgrades to lifts and escalators. These commitments, though modest, begin to frame GBR not just as a technical reform but as a social one – aiming to rebuild confidence among those who too often feel excluded from rail travel.
Critics will note that structural reform alone cannot fix operational performance. That challenge now falls to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), which is resetting performance targets for the latter half of Control Period 7 (CP7).
ORR’s review of years 3 to 5 aims to ensure that new targets are “ambitious yet realistic,” balancing fiscal restraint with customer expectations. With budgets tight and inflation still biting, the emphasis on realism is welcome. Network Rail’s latest delivery plan prioritises day-to-day reliability – maintenance, renewals and resilience against extreme weather – over grand capital projects. For customers, that means fewer visible upgrades but potentially more consistent service.
The Bill also builds on the government’s record of publicly operated train companies. Southeastern and LNER are both among the top five for lowest cancellation rates, while South Western Railway has tripled its number of new trains since entering public ownership. These examples will likely be used to argue that a publicly accountable model can deliver operational excellence.
Industry groups have broadly welcomed the reforms. Ben Plowden, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said that “an accessible, affordable and reliable rail network integrated with the wider transport system is key to delivering sustainable economic growth and improving regional productivity.” Jane Gratton from the British Chambers of Commerce added that “Great British Rail must deliver the certainty and connectivity that businesses are desperate for – with the needs of passengers and freight customers central to future decision making.” Together, these comments capture a sector ready for joined-up decision making after years of fragmentation.
There is no doubt that the Railways Bill is a foundational moment. But the hard work starts now – translating legislative intent into day-to-day delivery. If GBR succeeds, passengers should notice fewer cancellations, simpler tickets and a system that feels easier to navigate. Freight operators should see longer-term planning horizons, and local leaders should gain genuine influence over service design.
The government’s ambitions are high, but the task ahead is to prove that public ownership and simplification can do more than rearrange logos. They must deliver reliability, value and transparency that passengers can feel on the platform.
