Consultation on rail reform and Great British Railways opens

The consultation is seeking views on new policies to be included in the forthcoming Railways Bill, which will enable the establishment of Great British Railways

Plans for a "landmark bill to rewire Britain’s railways", including setting up a passenger watchdog to give passengers a voice and hold train operators to account, have been unveiled by the government.

Outlined in a new consultation, the plans will put passengers at the forefront of all decisions made on the railways, ending major failures and disruptions like the 2018 timetabling crisis. This once in a generation overhaul will also establish Great British Railways (GBR), a new body bringing track and train together, delivering reliable services for passengers and catalysing growth across the country.

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Join speakers from LCRCA to hear about new station Liverpool Baltic and other new rail-led developments at Rail Stations + Property 2025, March 11, London

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The consultation closes on 15 April 2025.

The overall aim of these proposed reforms is to provide a railway that works better for both passengers and taxpayers across Great Britain. They also include: 

• the establishment of a new passenger watchdog

• reform of fares and online retail of tickets

• a new statutory role for devolved leaders in governing, managing, planning and developing the rail network

• streamlining processes and reducing regulatory burdens to empower GBR to to deliver the best service for railway users

• ensuring the private sector continues to play a key role, including a statutory duty for GBR to promote rail freight

Growth is at the heart of this government’s missions and the key priority in the Plan for Change, which is why one of GBR’s guiding principles will be to work closely with the private sector to create jobs and drive investment and innovation.

The new independent watchdog will be tasked with ensuring GBR addresses the issues that consistently rank highest in passenger complaints, rooting out the problems that cause poor journeys, ensuring passengers are given clear information when they travel and help tackle the maze of confusing rail fares and tickets passengers have to navigate.

"It will hold operators to account on behalf of passengers and arbitrate where passengers are not satisfied about the handling of a complaint. Working with the Transport Secretary and GBR, it will also be given the powers to set clear standards for passengers on things like journey information and assistance, investigate persistent problems and publish reports on poor service. Where poor passenger experiences are identified, it will be able to refer this to the railway regulator for enforcement action."

Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, said: "Passengers have put up with broken railways for far too long. This landmark reform will sweep away decades of failure, creating a Great British Railways passengers can rely on.

"We’re giving passengers a powerful voice with a new watchdog dedicated to addressing their biggest concerns, building railways people can trust, improving our services and boosting the economy in the process – the priority in our Plan for Change.

"These plans are the next step in establishing GBR, which will end years of fragmentation by bringing track and train together in a unified, simplified railway. As part of the biggest overhaul to the network in a generation, we will be raising living standards and connecting people to work, education, healthcare and leisure, supporting growth across the country.

"The consultation also looks more widely at far-reaching reforms and how GBR will interact with the industry to effectively implement its plans to relentlessly focus on driving up standards, boosting our economy and ensuring our railways deliver the services passengers deserve."