Great British Railways and Passenger Standards Authority

[whole diary]

[grahame]

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/establishing-a-shadow-great-british-railways

Written Statement to Parliament

Establishing a Shadow Great British Railways

Today (3 September 2024) I am announcing that I will be instructing the CEO^▸ (Chief Executive Officer) of Network Rail, the Director General for Rail Services in the Department for Transport, and the CEO of DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) OLR Holdings Ltd (DOHL) to establish a Shadow Great British Railways. As the main organisations responsible for the operational railway, they will be working in closer collaboration, bringing together track and train to deliver for passengers and freight users, ahead of legislation to create Great British Railways (GBR^▸ (Great British Railways)) as an arm’s length body.

Our manifesto committed to putting passengers at the heart of the service by reforming the railways and bringing them into public ownership. Great British Railways will be created to deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient services; along with ensuring safety and accessibility.

GBR will put passengers back at the heart of the railways and introduce new measures to protect their interests. This will include paving the way for a powerful new passenger watchdog, the Passenger Standards Authority, to independently monitor standards and champion improvement in service performance against a range of measures. Great British Railways will reform the ticketing system, to make it simpler for passengers, drive innovation across the network, replace the current myriad of ticket types and maximise passenger growth.

There will be a statutory duty on GBR to promote the use of rail freight, alongside an overall growth target set by the Secretary of State. The government will include safeguards to ensure that freight operators continue to receive fair access to the network. Open access operators have a proven track record in driving competition and better passenger outcomes, and where there is a case that open access operators can add value and capacity to the network, they will be able to.

While primary legislation is required to initiate the change to public ownership and establish GBR, this government will begin delivering improvements for passengers and freight users straight away. That is why I am taking the immediate step of standing up Shadow Great British Railways today. The 3 organisations will work collaboratively, taking a whole-system approach to decision-making and driving improvement, whilst retaining their existing accountabilities and duties.

We can achieve change on how organisations work together quickly. But change on the ground, for those who use the railway, will take time. Our railways are fragmented and have been for decades, suffering from a short-sighted investment approach and not providing the services passengers and freight customers need. Delivering change for passengers will rely on building new levels of trust, openness and transparency across the industry, with diverse teams brought together that reflect the customers and communities we serve – setting the tone for reform and enabling us to create a modern and affordable railway for everyone in Britain.

I will expect Shadow Great British Railways to be passenger focused and unlock barriers to delivery. I will also expect it to work alongside my team and I with rail stakeholders and partners across Great Britain, including national and regional governments, mayors, the trade unions, train operators, passenger and freight representative groups, the supply chain, the regulator and railway staff to deliver improvements. As part of the plans for reform, this includes the need to speed up training for drivers and collaborate with the sector to build resilience and improve productivity.

I will be writing to the Chief Executives and the Director General to set their initial priorities and how I expect them to work together as Shadow Great British Railways.

[grahame]

Associated Press Notice

* Louise Haigh launches plan to revitalise Britain’s railways and drastically improve services
 *Shadow Great British Railways to be established to deliver higher performing railway built on reliability, efficiency, and safety
* it comes as the Public Ownership Bill progresses through Parliament today, putting the railways back in the hands of passengers

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh today (3 September 2024) fired the starting gun on rail reform – ushering in a new era for our railways which puts passengers first.

Today’s launch of Shadow Great British Railways (Shadow GBR^▸ (Great British Railways)) will set in motion a huge overhaul of the running of the rail network, bringing together leaders from the Department for Transport, Network Rail and publicly-owned operators.

Shadow GBR will pave the way for Great British Railways – a new unified arm’s length body responsible for finally bringing track and train back together and overseeing both services and infrastructure.

Today’s announcement comes as the government’s Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill continues its passage through the Commons, marking further progress in the Transport Secretary’s mission to put rail services back into the hands of the public.

The landmark legislation reinforces the government’s relentless focus on reversing decades of delays, cancellations and unreliable services on Britain’s railways.

It will prioritise passengers over private companies, putting the railways back on track, while saving taxpayers up to an estimated £150 million every year in fees alone in the process.

The Transport Secretary has already started the work to modernise the railways – root and branch – so passengers are put first. She says this programme will save money for taxpayers and passengers and deliver a more reliable railway.

As part of the plans for reform, the government has recognised the need to speed up training for drivers and is collaborating with the sector to build resilience and improve productivity. Following a consultation this summer on lowering the minimum age for drivers from 20 to 18, the government is reviewing the feedback and will lay out next steps in due course.

Transport Secretary Louise 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.

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.

Further measures set out by the Secretary of State today include the announcement of a new Rail Sale early next year, to tie in with celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of Britain’s passenger railways. Returning by popular demand, the sale will aim to encourage more people on to the railways by offering up to 50% off train tickets for a specific time period.

On top of this, tap-in tap-out technology will be rolled out at a further 45 stations next year thanks to nearly £27 million of government funding, meaning simpler and more flexible train travel.

Among these stations will be London Stansted, allowing smoother journeys for international passengers from train to plane. This follows 47 stations previously announced across the Southeast that are set to benefit from the technology in September.

The reforms announced today would not be possible to deliver while industrial disputes are ongoing. That’s why the Transport Secretary is prioritising ending the longest national strike in the history of the railways, clearing the way for vital progress on the network.

Just recently, following a series of positive talks led by government, ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) agreed to recommend a new pay proposal to its members which will now be put to members in a referendum.

[ChrisB]

Ms Haigh announced that a Rail Sale will be held early next year, offering discounts of up to 50% on train tickets.

https://x.com/railway200/status/1831025734166466698

[TaplowGreen]

Associated Press Notice

* Louise Haigh launches plan to revitalise Britain’s railways and drastically improve services
 *Shadow Great British Railways to be established to deliver higher performing railway built on reliability, efficiency, and safety
* it comes as the Public Ownership Bill progresses through Parliament today, putting the railways back in the hands of passengers

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh today (3 September 2024) fired the starting gun on rail reform – ushering in a new era for our railways which puts passengers first.

Today’s launch of Shadow Great British Railways (Shadow GBR^▸ (Great British Railways)) will set in motion a huge overhaul of the running of the rail network, bringing together leaders from the Department for Transport, Network Rail and publicly-owned operators.

Shadow GBR will pave the way for Great British Railways – a new unified arm’s length body responsible for finally bringing track and train back together and overseeing both services and infrastructure.

Today’s announcement comes as the government’s Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill continues its passage through the Commons, marking further progress in the Transport Secretary’s mission to put rail services back into the hands of the public.

The landmark legislation reinforces the government’s relentless focus on reversing decades of delays, cancellations and unreliable services on Britain’s railways.

It will prioritise passengers over private companies, putting the railways back on track, while saving taxpayers up to an estimated £150 million every year in fees alone in the process.

The Transport Secretary has already started the work to modernise the railways – root and branch – so passengers are put first. She says this programme will save money for taxpayers and passengers and deliver a more reliable railway.

As part of the plans for reform, the government has recognised the need to speed up training for drivers and is collaborating with the sector to build resilience and improve productivity. Following a consultation this summer on lowering the minimum age for drivers from 20 to 18, the government is reviewing the feedback and will lay out next steps in due course.

Transport Secretary Louise 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.

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.

Further measures set out by the Secretary of State today include the announcement of a new Rail Sale early next year, to tie in with celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of Britain’s passenger railways. Returning by popular demand, the sale will aim to encourage more people on to the railways by offering up to 50% off train tickets for a specific time period.

On top of this, tap-in tap-out technology will be rolled out at a further 45 stations next year thanks to nearly £27 million of government funding, meaning simpler and more flexible train travel.

Among these stations will be London Stansted, allowing smoother journeys for international passengers from train to plane. This follows 47 stations previously announced across the Southeast that are set to benefit from the technology in September.

The reforms announced today would not be possible to deliver while industrial disputes are ongoing. That’s why the Transport Secretary is prioritising ending the longest national strike in the history of the railways, clearing the way for vital progress on the network.

Just recently, following a series of positive talks led by government, ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) agreed to recommend a new pay proposal to its members which will now be put to members in a referendum.

If "Shadow" GBR is intended to "pave the way" for GBR,  can someone explain what we've received for the £50 million+ of taxpayers money that has already been spent on the latter?

[eightonedee]

A lot of promises to deliver, and for us to remind ourselves about in the next 4-5 years!

Two conspicuous topics not mentioned - electrification and HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s))......

[grahame]

A lot of promises to deliver, and for us to remind ourselves about in the next 4-5 years!

Two conspicuous topics not mentioned - electrification and HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s))......

Two more - service levels and fare levels.

[Electric train]

Associated Press Notice

* Louise Haigh launches plan to revitalise Britain’s railways and drastically improve services
 *Shadow Great British Railways to be established to deliver higher performing railway built on reliability, efficiency, and safety
* it comes as the Public Ownership Bill progresses through Parliament today, putting the railways back in the hands of passengers

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh today (3 September 2024) fired the starting gun on rail reform – ushering in a new era for our railways which puts passengers first.

Today’s launch of Shadow Great British Railways (Shadow GBR^▸ (Great British Railways)) will set in motion a huge overhaul of the running of the rail network, bringing together leaders from the Department for Transport, Network Rail and publicly-owned operators.

Shadow GBR will pave the way for Great British Railways – a new unified arm’s length body responsible for finally bringing track and train back together and overseeing both services and infrastructure.

Today’s announcement comes as the government’s Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill continues its passage through the Commons, marking further progress in the Transport Secretary’s mission to put rail services back into the hands of the public.

The landmark legislation reinforces the government’s relentless focus on reversing decades of delays, cancellations and unreliable services on Britain’s railways.

It will prioritise passengers over private companies, putting the railways back on track, while saving taxpayers up to an estimated £150 million every year in fees alone in the process.

The Transport Secretary has already started the work to modernise the railways – root and branch – so passengers are put first. She says this programme will save money for taxpayers and passengers and deliver a more reliable railway.

As part of the plans for reform, the government has recognised the need to speed up training for drivers and is collaborating with the sector to build resilience and improve productivity. Following a consultation this summer on lowering the minimum age for drivers from 20 to 18, the government is reviewing the feedback and will lay out next steps in due course.

Transport Secretary Louise 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.

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.

Further measures set out by the Secretary of State today include the announcement of a new Rail Sale early next year, to tie in with celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of Britain’s passenger railways. Returning by popular demand, the sale will aim to encourage more people on to the railways by offering up to 50% off train tickets for a specific time period.

On top of this, tap-in tap-out technology will be rolled out at a further 45 stations next year thanks to nearly £27 million of government funding, meaning simpler and more flexible train travel.

Among these stations will be London Stansted, allowing smoother journeys for international passengers from train to plane. This follows 47 stations previously announced across the Southeast that are set to benefit from the technology in September.

The reforms announced today would not be possible to deliver while industrial disputes are ongoing. That’s why the Transport Secretary is prioritising ending the longest national strike in the history of the railways, clearing the way for vital progress on the network.

Just recently, following a series of positive talks led by government, ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) agreed to recommend a new pay proposal to its members which will now be put to members in a referendum.

If "Shadow" GBR is intended to "pave the way" for GBR,  can someone explain what we've received for the £50 million+ of taxpayers money that has already been spent on the latter?

GBR up to 3 September 2024 had been developing policies to satisfy 2 political parties, after the 4 July 2024 this meant one stream of GBR work was consigned to the bin