Great British Railways
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Great British Railways (GBR) is a proposed
The concession contract system is to be the long-term replacement for the previous system of passenger rail franchising run by the DfT, which became unsustainable early in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. GBR will be modelled on the operations of Transport for London, which contracts services on systems such as London Overground. GBR is to be based in Derby.[3][4]
The 2023 King's speech announced the progression of a draft Rail Reform Bill which would enable the establishment of GBR, although it has not been timetabled in the Parliamentary programme.[5]
History
During 2020, in the midst of the
The new GBR organisation was proposed under the Williams–Shapps Rail Review,[2] which was published as a white paper on 20 May 2021.[10] The review had been launched in September 2018 and was led by Keith Williams.[10][11]
A fortnight before the Williams–Shapps Plan for Rail was unveiled, the Department for Transport gave notice of a £6.5 million contract for Deloitte up to February 2023 as its "strategic change delivery partner: rail reform programme".[12]
Andrew Haines and
On 19 October 2022,
The
Headquarters
The government promised to base the organisation outside London to promote economic growth and skills in a region beyond the capital.[18]
On 5 February 2022, the Department for Transport launched a public consultation for the location of GBR's headquarters.[19] In total, 42 towns and cities submitted expressions of interest.[20]
Originally scheduled for May 2022,[19] a shortlist consisting Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster, Newcastle upon Tyne, and York was announced in July 2022,[21] using the following criteria: alignment with "levelling up" objectives; connected and easy to get to; opportunities for GBR; railway heritage and links to the network; value for money; and public support.[21] A public vote was held following the announcement.[21]
In March 2023, the government announced that the headquarters is to be in Derby.[3]
Regions
GBR will be made up of five regional divisions, organised in line with Network Rail's 'Putting Passengers First' programme. Budgets and delivery will be held at the local level as well as at the national level. Regional divisions will manage concession contracts, stations, infrastructure, and local and regional budgets, integrate track and train, and integrate rail with local transport services.[2]
The five regions are:[22]
- Scotland
- North West & Central
- Eastern (including the East Coast Main Line)
- Wales & Western
- Southern (including HS1)
Scope and powers
Great British Railways is planned to operate in the existing areas of Network Rail, i.e. England, Scotland and Wales.
GBR's powers are unconfirmed as of April 2023[update].[16] However, the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail suggested that GBR will develop rail strategies, manage budgets and operations, own stations and infrastructures and manage the procurement of contracts.[2]: 30 Transport Secretary Mark Harper has said that the government will respond to consultation on those powers in summer 2023.[16]
Under devolution, a number of powers relating to rail services are devolved to devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, London and Merseyside. According to the Plan for Rail, these current powers will be unaffected. The Plan states that GBR will co-operate with devolved administrations, but that those administrations will need to work with GBR to improve consistency across the national network.
Under Network Rail, all stations are formally in public hands since 2014, but only 20 (mainly large termini and central stations) are managed directly by it. GBR will own all stations and most infrastructure in Great Britain. Existing leases of stations to devolved transport authorities will continue. Dedicated station management teams will be created within regional divisions of GBR to manage stations and land. GBR will develop masterplans for station renewal.[2]
Branding
GBR will use modified forms of British Rail's Double Arrow symbol and Rail Alphabet typeface —
See also
- History of rail transport in Great Britain 1995 to date
- Impact of the privatisation of British Rail
- Renationalisation of British Rail
- Campaign to Bring Back British Rail
Notes
- ^ It will not assume ownership of the Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes which were transferred to Transport for Wales in 2020.
References
- ^ "Great British Railways transport bill shelved". BBC News. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Great British Railways: Williams–Shapps plan for rail". GOV.UK. Department for Transport. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Great British Railways: Derby chosen as location for new rail HQ". BBC News. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ "Great British Railways headquarters". GOV.UK. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ a b "King's Speech: Derby-based 'Great British Railways' promised in draft bill". ITV News. 7 November 2023.
- ^ "Network Rail closer to Railtrack takeover". BBC News. 18 September 2002.
- ^ "The ONS classifies train operating companies now running under emergency measures agreements". Office for National Statistics. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ Moran, Mark (3 August 2020). "UK rail effectively 'renationalised' during pandemic". TransportXtra. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ British government announces plans for major railway sector reform International Railway Journal 20 May 2021
- ^ a b "Rail services to come under unified state control". BBC News. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ "Grayling launches "no stone unturned" review into Britain's railway". www.railmagazine.com. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ Delivery Partner Contracts BidStats
- ^ Pickard, Jim; Georgiardis, Philip (17 May 2021). "UK railways braced for biggest shake-up in decades". Financial Times. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ Topham, Gwyn (16 May 2021). "UK railways brace for shake-up and cuts as long-overdue review arrives". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ "Great British Railways plan 'delayed' as Liz Truss pulls transport bill". The Independent. 19 October 2022.
- ^ a b c Harper, Mark (7 February 2023). "George Bradshaw address 2023: The Transport Secretary affirms his commitment to the rail sector and outlines plans to modernise the industry". Department for Transport. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "Minister admits rail reform legislation 'unlikely' before general election". The Independent. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
- ^ Hakimian, Rob (5 October 2021). "Search on for Great British Railways headquarters". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Public competition launched to find new home for Britain's Railways". 5 February 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "List of the 42 bidders to host Great British Railways headquarters". Railway Gazette. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ a b c "Public vote and official shortlist announced to choose home of Great British Railways". GOV.UK. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ "Our regions". Network Rail. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
External links
- Official website for the Great British Railways Transition Team