Great British Railways: Major revamp brings UK’s train network back under control of public body

One immediate innovation is flexible season tickets aimed at people who commute two or three days a week

Going places: rush-hour passengers will get part-time season tickets (Simon Calder)

Rail privatisation is over, the government has announced – with a 21st-century version of British Rail to take control of trains and the network.

Great British Railways will direct operations for passengers and freight and subsume Network Rail, the publicly owned infrastructure provider.

British Rail was dismantled in the mid-1990s by the Conservative government, and the privatised railway was kept in place by Labour administrations.

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said “years of fragmentation, confusion and over-complication” had failed passengers.

Instead, a new public body, Great British Railways, will “integrate the railways, owning the infrastructure, collecting fare revenue, running and planning the network, and setting most fares and timetables”.

The government’s White Paper follows many of the recommendations of the Williams Review, set up in the wake of the 2018 timetable fiasco which paralysed the rail network in parts of southeast and northern England.

Keith Williams, former chief executive of British Airways, was brought in as the independent chair of a Department for Transport (DfT) review.

The review was completed in September 2019, but its publication was delayed – first by the general election, then by the coronavirus pandemic. It is now known as the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail.

Mr Williams said: “Our railway history – rich with Victorian pioneers and engineers, steam and coal, industry and ingenuity – demands a bright future. This plan is the path forward, reforming our railways to ensure they work for everyone in this country.”

The government promises “a truly passenger-focused railway, underpinned by new contracts that prioritise punctual and reliable services, the rapid delivery of a ticketing revolution, with new flexible and convenient tickets, and long-term proposals to build a modern, greener and accessible network”.

One immediate innovation is flexible season tickets aimed at people who commute two or three days a week. The first such tickets will go on sale on 21 June.

There will also be much wider use of pay-as-you-go systems and contactless technology.

The prime minister joined the chorus of criticism of the rail franchising system introduced under John Major’s government.

Boris Johnson said: “I am a great believer in rail, but for too long passengers have not had the level of service they deserve.

“By creating Great British Railways, and investing in the future of the network, this government will deliver a rail system the country can be proud of”.

The announcement has been given a cautious welcome across the rail industry and by passenger groups.

Darren Caplan, chief executive of the Railway Industry Association (RIA), said: “We are heartened that the new Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail is a 30-year strategy, which supports modernisation and investment.

“We also welcome the ambition to attract and grow passengers and freight back to the network and grow both markets.”

David Brown, managing director of Arriva UK Trains, said: “It is crucial to bring customers safely back to rail and we welcome measures, such as flexible season tickets and digital ticketing that reflect consumer needs and changing working and leisure patterns.”

Paul Tuohy, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “We welcome this plan with its focus on the needs of passengers, simpler fares and contactless ticketing.

“But the devil will be in the detail. Will flexible season tickets – so sorely needed to encourage commuters back onto trains – offer a decent discount?

“Will there be single-leg pricing to make fares fair and transparent? Will the very welcome commitment to grow the rail network be backed by proper funding so that disconnected communities can access the opportunities that rail brings?

“If we’re to avoid a car-led recovery after Covid, with disastrous traffic jams, pollution and communities being left behind, it’s more vital than ever that the rail network properly meets people’s needs.”

But the free market think-tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs, condemned the plan. Dr Richard Wellings, the head of transport, said: “The reforms will potentially create a worst-of-all-worlds model which repeats many of the mistakes made during privatisation.

”The new industry structure will retain a high degree of complexity and fragmentation, keeping costs high for taxpayers, but at the same time undermine the benefits of competition.”

At present taxpayers are keeping largely empty trains running with a subsidy of around £1m per hour.