Meet Great British Railways – the post-pandemic attempt to overhaul a cash-strapped network

A new public body will be set up to oversee the day-to-day running of the rail system for the first time since the abolition of British Rail in the mid-1990s, the government announced today.

Great British Railways (GBR), which will be operationally independent of the Department for Transport (DfT), will have complete oversight of train operations and management of the 20,000 miles of track. It will set timetables and prices, sell tickets in England and manage rail infrastructure.

As part of the reforms, existing franchises will be replaced by a model similar to that already used on the London Overground, with “Passenger Service Contracts” to incentivise private firms based on punctuality and efficiency rather than raising revenue. The existing operating infrastructure, Network Rail, will be removed.

The changes have been fast-tracked as a result of the pandemic, which forced the ripping up of contracts and services being taken into public ownership. The government has provided £12bn in subsidies to keep the rail services running. Further financial problems lie ahead, with fewer workers commuting in the aftermath of the health crisis and trains running under capacity.

GBR is not expected to be established until 2023. However, new flexible season tickets will be introduced from next month in a drive to tempt passengers back to the services after the crash in fares. The DfT said the new “national flexi season ticket” has the potential to save two and three-day-a-week commuters hundreds of pounds a year.

DfT has also promised a “significant roll out” of more pay as you go, contactless and digital ticketing on smartphones to make the services more attractive to passengers. 

The changes are based on recommendations from former BA chief executive Keith Williams, who carried out a review of rail following the chaotic introduction of new timetables in May 2018.

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said passengers had been failed by “years of fragmentation, confusion and overcomplication”. He claimed Great British Railways would “become a single familiar brand with a bold new vision for passengers – of punctual services, simpler tickets and a modern and green railway that meets the needs of the nation”.

Labour said the review raised more questions than it answered. Jim McMahon, the shadow transport secretary, said: “With fare hikes, £1bn cuts to Network Rail and broken promises to communities across the country, it’s yet another example of ministers talking a good game, with very little substance underneath.”

Inevitably, several unions have also expressed concerns about the new plans.  Manuel Cortes, leader of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, said the plans were “papering over the cracks” of privatisation, while Mick Lynch, leader of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said it was a “missed opportunity” by the government to make a clean break from past failures.

Mick Whelan, leader of the train drivers’ union Aslef, raised concerns about the ongoing role of private operators in the UK’s railway services. He said: “Under these plans the private companies will still pocket a profit, but all the risk is being dumped back on the public purse. The Government is changing the model, but protecting the privateers, and privatising any profit.”