Government signals it could cancel Great British Railways plan

Transport secretary tells MPs no ‘final decision’ has been taken on establishing GBR

GBR would be responsible for Britain’s railways (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The government has signalled it could cancel its plan to set up a new public body to manage Britain's railways, over a year after it was first announced.

Speaking at a parliamentary committee on Wednesday the Transport Secretary said no "final decision" had yet been taken on whether to proceed with establishing Great British Railways (GBR).

GBR was announced by former transport secretary Grant Shapps and the body is supposed to be overseeing mainline rail services across Britain from 2024, with control over timetables, franchising, and fares.