‘Up and down the country, the consensus is clear: our railway simply isn’t working’
The mayor of Greater Manchester has hailed a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’ to transform rail travel for passengers across the region.
Andy Burnham – a long-standing critic of the performance of several train operating companies serving Greater Manchester and the north – said a new Government Bill would bring ‘more reliable trains and simpler fares and tickets’.
Mr Burnham spoke out as a Government consultation on a major overhaul of Britain’s railways got underway.
The plans, which have previously been announced, include the creation of Great British Railways, a public sector body which will manage rail infrastructure and train operation, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.
A new independent watchdog will be established, with powers to set standards on issues such as journey information and assistance. It will also be able to refer instances of poor performance to a regulator for enforcement action.
Devolved leaders will be given more influence on services that directly affect their towns and cities – a situation already in place in Greater Manchester.
The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, a Bill to make provision for passenger railway services to be provided by public sector companies instead of by means of franchises, has now been passed into law.
In the consultation document, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Up and down the country, the consensus is clear: our railway simply isn’t working. Decades of sticking-plaster solutions and attempts at incremental change have failed, leaving behind a system that is fragmented, inefficient, and without leadership.
“For passengers, the costs of that failure are all too familiar: persistent delays, routine cancellations, and above all the feeling that they – the people the railway should be there to serve – have somehow become an afterthought.
“These costs are not just measured in time or money. Each delay means another family dinner put on hold. Another medical scan missed. Another job opportunity passed up because the commute is simply too unreliable. As Transport Secretary, one of my top priorities is to fix our broken railways to deliver the change our country needs.”
She said the landmark reform would ‘sweep away decades of failure, creating a Great British Railways passengers can rely on’.
Mr Burnham said: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to overhaul how the railways are run – creating a service that puts passengers first, with more reliable trains and simpler fares and tickets.
“In Greater Manchester things are already changing. We’re working in partnership with the Government and the rail industry on plans for the next phase of the Bee Network, to join up our trains, buses, trams and active travel routes, moving from a fragmented system to one that is more accountable to our residents.
“We look forward to helping shape the Bill, with a statutory role for mayors and city regions in making the railways work for everyone.”
The consultation will run for eight weeks. The DfT claims the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act will save taxpayers up to an estimated £150 million every year in fees currently paid to private train companies.
