UK: The Rail Partners association of train operating company owning groups has decided to ‘wind down’ in April 2025, with the planned nationalisation of passenger operators leaving it without a future role.
Rail Partners was spun out of the Rail Delivery Group in 2021 to provide advocacy and policy development services for train operator owning groups following publication of the Williams Plan for Rail. At the time, the Conservative government envisaged that the defunct franchising system would be replaced by new forms of competitively tendered operating contract.
Membership of Rail Partners was open to freight operators and any organisation with a UK franchising ‘passport’ enabling it to bid for contracts. It did not include public sector operators of last resort, as they do not bid for contracts.
The situation changed following this year’s general election, when the incoming Labour government confirmed it would bring contracted passenger operations into the public sector as and when the current contract terms expire; the Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill will soon be receiving Royal Assent. The end of contracting leaves Rail Partners without a role, and so it is to cease operations at the end of the financial year.
Professional and orderly transition
In a statement on November 14, Rail Partners said the view of its members is that ’simply changing who runs the trains will not fix the challenges the railway is facing. In itself, it will not reduce the burden on the taxpayer nor improve reliability.
’There are also significant issues still to be addressed about how the new system will be structured and regulated to drive growth. However, while we still hold those views, we also recognise the democratic mandate of the government to enact the policy contained in its manifesto and that private train companies will play a very limited role in future.
’Therefore, as the bill becomes law, the focus of the industry and our owning group members must shift to the transition to public ownership. Passenger owning groups, as the current custodians of railway operations, will focus on doing this in a professional and orderly way.
‘Ultimately, we want the railway to be successful, regardless of how it is organised and our role in it, for the wider economic and environmental benefits it offers the country.’
