Legislation to establish Great British Railways has been introduced to Parliament.
The government put The Railways Bill to Parliament on Wednesday. The legislation would establish Great British Railways (GBR), a new publicly owned body that will take responsibility for managing passenger services and rail infrastructure.
According to the Department for Transport, GBR will coordinate the rail network “from track to train” and oversee costs, revenue, and service delivery. The government says the changes aim to simplify the current system, which is made up of more than a dozen organisations, and improve reliability and value for passengers.
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The new body, headquartered in Derby, will launch a single website and app for passengers to check timetables and buy tickets, replacing multiple existing operator platforms.
The bill also includes plans to:
- Create a strengthened passenger watchdog with powers to investigate poor service and escalate complaints
- Reform fares and ticketing, including wider use of pay-as-you-go systems
- Introduce a duty to grow rail freight, providing long-term planning certainty for freight operators
- Give devolved governments and mayors a greater role in local rail decision-making.
The government will also publish an accessibility roadmap alongside the bill, outlining steps to improve travel for disabled passengers, such as expanding eligibility for the Disabled Persons Railcard and improving station facilities like lifts and escalators.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the legislation would “rebuild trust” in the railways and “restore reliability and value for money.”
She said: “The introduction of this legislation is 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.
“Britain deserves a railway that is fit for the future – one that rebuilds the trust of its passengers, regenerates its communities and restores reliability and value for money.”
Rail services already under public ownership such as Southeastern, LNER, and South Western Railway have been cited by the government as examples of improved performance and investment in new trains.
If passed, the Railways Bill would mark the most significant restructuring of the rail industry since privatisation in the 1990s.
