Industry responds to rail reform bill consultation

UK: ‘The plans set out today will mean a better railway for everyone that uses it, allowing industry to work closer together, putting passengers and customers first and providing better value for money for taxpayers’, Chair of Shadow Great British Railways Laura Shoaf said when the government’s A Railway Fit For Britain’s Future consultation document setting out plans for rail reform was published on February 18.

Operators

Commenting on the government’s plans, Andy Bagnall, CEO of train operator owning group association Rail Partners, said ‘today’s consultation is only the start of the process of answering the big questions’.

He said the bill ’must organise the railway to address passenger demands for punctuality and affordability and replace the commercial focus of train companies to restore financial sustainability and reduce subsidy. It must also create the conditions necessary to ensure that Great British Railways treats other operators fairly, including freight and open access operators, as well as devolved services.’

The vital role of rail freight in supporting the UK economy must not be overlooked, according to Logistics UK. Ellis Shelton, Senior Policy Advisor Rail, said the bill ‘must include robust mechanisms to protect fair access for freight operators and grow rail freight’, as ’while a unified and simplified rail system could deliver significant benefits for the freight and logistics sector, there is always risk that the government’s and GBR’s plans for passengers and freight shift out of balance’. This risks ‘squeezing freight off rail, harming economic growth and emissions reduction plans’.

The Rail Freight Group said that without a strong legal framework it could be too easy for freight to be deprioritised to meet GBR or mayoral ambitions. ‘It is therefore essential that any new laws give certainty of access to enable businesses to invest and to grow’, said RFG Director General Maggie Simpson. ‘These are profound changes to railway legislation and it is essential that the resulting framework is effective in protecting the right of freight to run on the network and to meet its customers’ needs.’

Supply chain

Railway Industry Association Chair Noel Travers said ‘more than anything, businesses supplying the railway need clarity and certainty over the government’s plans for the sector, so that they can invest with confidence’.

This requires ‘no hiatus in current work, transparency, partnership, productivity and ambition for the reforms’

Regional bodies

Mayor Andy Burnham said ‘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.’

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said ’we need our train services to be joined up and much more reliable — helping more people get to where they need to be for the right price’.

CEO of Midlands Connect Maria Machancoses said ‘this consultation presents the opportunity to deliver the legislative framework for a modern rail network that works for those who use it every day. We welcome the focus on fares and ticketing which we know is a barrier for many to using rail and the recognition that we need to balance the needs of passengers and freight on the network.’

Watchdogs

Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of London TravelWatch, said ‘the proposals rightly recognise the positives which devolved decision making can bring. We will want to see the Mayor for London, the London Assembly and London TravelWatch continue to lead and champion the interests of people who use transport in and around the capital.’

Unions

Trades Union Congress General Secretary Paul Nowak said ‘for these plans to work best, rail workers should have a strong voice in the new Great British Railways. This will protect the safety and quality of work on our railways, and it will help rail services run more reliably.’

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said ‘we will carefully examine the consultation to ensure it truly serves the best interests of rail workers and passengers’.

He said ‘the rail industry is riddled with inefficiency and widespread profiteering that extends far beyond the train operators’, and ‘if the government is serious about saving hundreds of millions more and cutting fares for passengers, it must go further. The creation of Great British Railways should be the moment to bring the rest of our railway back into public ownership — taking on the rolling stock leasing racket and ending the rampant outsourcing of key railway operations to the private sector.’