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All across the Great Western territory => Looking forward - after Coronavirus to 2045 => Topic started by: grahame on October 07, 2022, 12:42:34



Title: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: grahame on October 07, 2022, 12:42:34
From a usually reliable source.

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GBR legislation deferred…

Interesting!


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: ChrisB on October 07, 2022, 12:49:58
Yes, well known - the fortnight's royal mourning removed the opportunity to publish & and put the Bill to the Commons. There is now no sapace in the Commons diary to do this in this parliamentary year.


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: grahame on October 07, 2022, 12:52:24
From a usually reliable source.

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GBR legislation deferred…

Interesting!

Confirmation to hand and I will move from "The Rumour Mill" to public.

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26th September 2022
NEWS
The legislation within the Government’s Transport Bill which will enact the implementation of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail and formally create the new Great British Railways organisation has been deferred, Modern Railways understands.

According to a document issued by the Great British Railways Transition Team, seen by Modern Railways, the reason for the deferral is that the Government is prioritising emergency legislation in response to the cost of living and energy price situation. The document adds that further details on the timing of the planned legislation on rail reform and the Future of Transport ‘will need to be confirmed in light of this’, and legislation will be taken forward when Parliamentary time allows.

Modern Railways understands the Transport Bill may proceed, but without the rail reform elements, as there are other aspects of the Bill which may remain a Government priority. The Bill was announced in the Queen’s Speech which opened the current Parliament on 10 May, and a consultation on the proposed legislation ran from 9 June to 4 August. However, unfolding events and the appointment of a new Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Transport and Rail Minister have changed Government priorities.

A Department for Transport spokesperson told Modern Railways the Parliamentary timetable was still to be confirmed. In an interview with Modern Railways in May, former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps had emphasised the importance of the legislation being passed in the current Parliamentary session if GBR was to acquire if powers in 2024 as planned.

and

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Mark Hopwood commented on LinkedIn - it’s hardly a surprise. The Treasury never liked the reforms anyway, the final version was heavily influenced by Boris’s Transport advisor Andrew Gilligan who has now gone, the report carries the name of a sacked SoS and relations between DfT and GBRTT are not great. So all the ingredients are there for a delay.


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: Electric train on October 07, 2022, 13:48:21
The Rail Industry will continue with the GBR transition team because unless the Government decide to stick to the flawed franchising and tender out all of the management contracts that are in place something needs to be done


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: JayMac on October 07, 2022, 13:48:51
So, more years of uncertainty in the industry. Most likely kicked into touch until after the next General Election. When the incoming (likely) Labour government will probably change the plan again.


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: Bmblbzzz on October 07, 2022, 14:52:31
Yes. Though as Electric Train says, something has to happen anyway, even if the something is a decision to carry on with franchising. (And however long it takes, they still won't have opened Portishead)


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: stuving on October 07, 2022, 18:30:46
Yes. Though as Electric Train says, something has to happen anyway, even if the something is a decision to carry on with franchising. (And however long it takes, they still won't have opened Portishead)

The only franchise in the pre-Covid sense apears to be East Midlands', and that runs to 2027 at least. Cross Country's is titled "direct award franchise agreement", but it's more like a prototype National Rail Contract after which they decided to change the name. It has a fixed end date of October 2023, and current practice would be to replace it with an NRC (as happened for GWR). Everyone else has an NRC, with the earliest end date after defined extensions being 2025 for SWR, C2C, and LNER.

So there's time for a bit more bumbling, and even a full-term general election.


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: IndustryInsider on October 07, 2022, 19:59:28
This has been an open secret within the industry for 6+ months.  The whole Boris/Shapps thing is a handy diversion.


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: Electric train on October 08, 2022, 07:29:33
This has been an open secret within the industry for 6+ months.  The whole Boris/Shapps thing is a handy diversion.

I agree, it has not had the pace that was seen when the Government were keen to privatise the industry, I suspect is dithering in the DfT, especially the Treasury and as usual politicians that can never make their minds up

One of the Williams initial report findings was the time taken by the DfT on policy, franchise contract award etc.

The industry leaders from NR and the ToC will be pushing the Rail Minister for a decision although while industrial action is taking place the Minister may find it difficult to commit


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: grahame on October 13, 2022, 06:16:15
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-63231725

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A rail group has spoken of its fears that plans to restructure the operation of Britain's railways could be axed.

The Rail Forum, a national industry body based in Derby, said it feared government plans to overhaul the system with a new body, named Great British Railways (GBR) might not go ahead.


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: Electric train on October 14, 2022, 07:00:39
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-63231725

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A rail group has spoken of its fears that plans to restructure the operation of Britain's railways could be axed.

The Rail Forum, a national industry body based in Derby, said it feared government plans to overhaul the system with a new body, named Great British Railways (GBR) might not go ahead.

Its posible of course GBR could out survive the current PM


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: ChrisB on October 20, 2022, 17:22:25
Blimey, that post aged quickly! ::) :P

From THe Grauniad (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/oct/19/great-british-railways-plan-to-oversee-rail-network-delayed?utm_term=6350f77ff183fd67ec627344d9257ae8&utm_campaign=BusinessToday&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=bustoday_email)

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Great British Railways plan to oversee rail network delayed
Transport secretary says scrapping of transport bill means plan will not go ahead in 2024

A plan to create a public sector body to oversee Britain’s ailing rail network has been delayed.

Great British Railways (GBR), which would take over from the infrastructure management company Network Rail and be responsible for handing out rail contracts, will not go ahead in 2024 owing to the scrapping of the transport bill.

The transport secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, told the Commons that the bill was being abolished because of the need to prioritise legislation to deal with the energy crisis.

She said a lighter version of the bill could be put forward looking at legislation around transport technologies such as e-scooters.

Asked about the transport bill by the transport select committee, Trevelyan said: “The challenges of things like the energy legislation we’ve got to bring in and various others has meant that we have lost the opportunity to have that in this third session. What we are continuing to pitch for will be what I would call a narrow bill around the future of transport technologies, the legislation around things like e-scooters.”

She added: “That bigger piece around rail transformation in particular, we will need to look at in the fourth session.”

The Department for Transport permanent secretary, Dame Bernadette Kelly, told the committee: “There are key elements of structural change and the establishment of GBR which require legislation including, for example, I think the formal transfer of franchising powers from the government – from the DfT – to another entity.

“So there clearly are some things that we can’t fully do structurally without legislation and without those powers.”

Trevelyan said: “What we’re looking at, at the moment, is whether actually, across that whole piece, there are a number of parts that don’t actually require primary legislation, so how can we intelligently use the time we’ve got until we get into the second half of next year to actually start to implement those areas of transformation that we can.”

The DfT announced in July that Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster, Newcastle and York had been shortlisted to host the headquarters of GBR.

Andy Bagnall, the chief executive of the industry body Rail Partners, said: “It is disappointing the legislation to create GBR will be delayed, but we look forward to working with the secretary of state, rail minister and Great British Railways transition team’s leadership to progress reform in its absence.

“It is critical there is not a long hiatus and there are immediate steps that can be taken now, such as switching on revenue incentives in national rail contracts and feeding back to the market on passenger service contract development, which can accelerate growth and underpin a reinvigorated public-private partnership.”

With Truss gone & the likelihood now of an early election, read 'dead & buried'


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: PhilWakely on October 20, 2022, 17:24:41
With Truss gone & the likelihood now of an early election, read 'dead & buried'

Not so fast!  There are reports that Boris may stand again and is being supported by his usual cabal (Dorries, Fabricant and co) >:(


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: Electric train on October 21, 2022, 07:05:36
With Truss gone & the likelihood now of an early election, read 'dead & buried'

Not so fast!  There are reports that Boris may stand again and is being supported by his usual cabal (Dorries, Fabricant and co) >:(

Not so sure that is BoJo will runs again for PM he would get the support needed, also the media and Opposition focus would be targeted at him as a toxic brand and the Conservatives are a party of U-turns and indecision.

The GBR project inside the industry will not be dead there is still some changes that can be agreed between NR, ToC, DfT and ORR and implemented that would improve the way the industry operates especially with current 'management contracts'

At some stage a Transport Bill will come before Parliament in the next few years so the industry will want to be ready


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: bradshaw on October 21, 2022, 08:50:26
It might be worth viewing the recent Transport sub Committee meeting held earlier this week. The Rail element starts around 10 minutes in. Chris Loder features for some of it.

https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/7747fc01-0153-41f9-8c47-244cfa23d335


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: stuving on February 06, 2023, 18:52:29
While most of the recent noise has been about the idea of fares reform based on single tickets only, yesterday's Sunday Times was on a different tack. Mark Harper's big announcement has been trailed as for tomorrow, speaking to Rail Partners. According to this article, "he will confirm the belated launch of GBR ... bringing together the operation of track and trains, setting timetables and prices and tickets". More specifically, "sources say" he will "announce a bigger role for the private sector, to 'drive innovation', and give the operators 'the freedom to grow revenue' by boosting passenger numbers".

Why they bother to put in direct quotes from unnamed "sources" I've no idea. And Rail Partners says it "brings together independent owning groups, train and freight operating companies". Independent of whom? The UK government, I think, since it includes Abellio and Trenitalia. Unfortunately for their credibility, their link for Abellio goes to abellio.co.uk, the London Bus operator, rather than abellio.com which is the holding company for the TOCs.

I was never really convinced by Grant Shapps's apparent Damascene conversion to Morrisonian, if not Leninist, state ownership, and still less so if the whole cabinet has to agree to it. So it would not exactly be a shock if Harper says this - though still a puzzle as to how it could all work.


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: Electric train on February 06, 2023, 19:14:10

I was never really convinced by Grant Shapps's apparent Damascene conversion to Morrisonian, if not Leninist, state ownership, and still less so if the whole cabinet has to agree to it. So it would not exactly be a shock if Harper says this - though still a puzzle as to how it could all work.

There will be a large piece of political fudge, Conservative government cannot be seen to re-Nationalise something that was a major (sic) Conservative achievement, yet they know something needs to be done because the current franchising system is broken beyond repair.

NR devolution into Regions and Routes along with a new Train Service Management contracts could allow for not the return of the BR corporate Regions but a GBR version of the Big Four / Five or Six.  I.E the infrastructure operator / maintainer and train operator being under one Regional Director.


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: Bmblbzzz on February 06, 2023, 20:31:49
Might that not introduce the 'inter-area funding problem' from buses into trains?


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: stuving on February 07, 2023, 23:36:04
The text of Mark Bradshaw's George Bradshaw address to Rail Partners today has appeared from the DfT (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/george-bradshaw-address-2023) ("Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered"). Here's a few bits of it:

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And in the end it’s rail’s customers that suffer. Like on the East Coast Mainline, where passengers still await the full benefits of billions of pounds in taxpayer investment and years of infrastructure upgrades. I know this first hand. As a backbench MP, when I was trying to get a Sunday train from my constituency to London, I remember constantly refreshing the First Great Western timetable to find half the trains weren’t running. Like many passengers, I had no choice but to give up and take the car instead.

Andrew, who was then running First Group, probably remembers my rather irate emails from the station platform, interrogating him about why the service was so unreliable. Four months into this job, I now know why. I possibly owe him an overdue apology. It wasn’t entirely his fault. Because Sunday services are essentially dependent on drivers volunteering for overtime. Which means, despite best efforts, we can’t run a reliable 7-day-a-week railway on which customers can depend. It’s why I and the Rail Minister, Huw Merriman, have been clear throughout this period of industrial action that modernising working practices must be part of reform.

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So, we have a broken model. Unable to adapt to customer needs and financially unsustainable. Left untreated, we will drive passengers away with poor performance, that will lead to fewer services, that will drive more passengers away and so on and so on. Only major reform can break that cycle of decline and Keith’s blueprint is the right place to start. So yes, we will create a more customer focussed and joined up railway. But we want to go further, I want to go further, and actually enhance the role of the private sector. Not just in running services but in maximising competition, innovation, and revenue growth right across the industry. Which the benefits of the private sector has delivered time and again.

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However, turning towards customers requires us to turn away from the current industry structure. So, we will establish Great British Railways, or GBR. As we prepare for that, we’ll pick up the pace of reform. I am pleased to announce that the winner of the GBR HQ competition will be revealed before Easter. And by the summer, we will respond to the consultation on GBR’s legislative powers.

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The role of ministers is to provide strategic direction and be accountable to Parliament. It is not the role of ministers to pore over operational decisions. For example, I shouldn’t need to approve whether a passenger train ought to be removed from the timetable to allow a freight train to run instead, as I was doing earlier today. That will be left to industry experts in 5 regional GBR divisions working in partnership with regional bodies such as the Greater Manchester and the West Midlands Combined Authorities.

There's several topics in there that need to be taken on their own, but not as if that speech is definitive. There are many steps to go yet, and major changes may happen at each: this response to the GBR consultation, the bill, the act as passed, the blueprint for implementation, what gets implemented, and what actually happens operationally. And that assumes the act gets passed while this lot are in government ...  which means it's all got to happen pretty fast (probably).


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: Electric train on February 08, 2023, 06:30:17
There's several topics in there that need to be taken on their own, but not as if that speech is definitive. There are many steps to go yet, and major changes may happen at each: this response to the GBR consultation, the bill, the act as passed, the blueprint for implementation, what gets implemented, and what actually happens operationally. And that assumes the act gets passed while this lot are in government ...  which means it's all got to happen pretty fast (probably).

The GBR Team is very active internally within the Rail Industry, NR ToC's FoC's DfT ORR all part of the team to develop the "blue print" with an implementation plan.   The loss of traction could well be with the Government and Parliamentary time


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: GBM on February 08, 2023, 11:46:03
..  The loss of traction could well be with the Government and Parliamentary time
Lovely analogy


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: ChrisB on February 08, 2023, 16:47:09
After last night's speech from the SoS, back on the cards....


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: CyclingSid on February 08, 2023, 17:39:16
Will this solve the financial problems?
https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0208/1355495-irish-rail-food/ (https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0208/1355495-irish-rail-food/)
Do realise it is not the same as a buffet, are "staffing issues" that they can't get them or they can't get through the "full and standing" trains.


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: DR7835 on February 09, 2023, 11:26:35
Will this solve the financial problems?
https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0208/1355495-irish-rail-food/ (https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0208/1355495-irish-rail-food/)
Do realise it is not the same as a buffet, are "staffing issues" that they can't get them or they can't get through the "full and standing" trains.

On board vending machines have been around for many years.  This is the second generation of SOB trains so fitted, and very smart they are!:-
https://railway-news.com/stadler-contract-flirt-traverso-trains/
Whether they'd be up to withstanding the rigours and demands of the Great British travelling public is possibly a debatable point though!


Title: Re: GBR legislation deferred…
Post by: Noggin on February 10, 2023, 18:59:02
Will this solve the financial problems?
https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0208/1355495-irish-rail-food/ (https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0208/1355495-irish-rail-food/)
Do realise it is not the same as a buffet, are "staffing issues" that they can't get them or they can't get through the "full and standing" trains.

Unless I can have a restaurant carriage with white tablecloths, or a bar carriage with a proper coffee machine, ice, glasses and somewhere to perch, I really don't see the point:

1) The railway will invariably be horribly expensive, or loss-making due to overheads
2) People rarely want to leave their stuff unattended once they have found a seat - even going to the toilet is a pain if you have laptops etc
3) People with mobility issues are not going to be able to get down a train to a buffet
4) Mainline stations (where trains with buffets generally go from) generally have wide and varied catering options, so most people will bring onboard their preference

Vending machines are going to suffer from points 2 and 3, so I reckon that trolley is probably the best way to provide public service, and of course, like cabin crew, it should be mandatory that they are properly trained so they can assist in the event of an incident.



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