Government announces ‘root and branch’ railway review
A large-scale review to transform Britain’s railways has been launched today (20 September) by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling.
The review — which the Government is calling “the most significant since privatisation” — will be led by Keith Williams, the former British Airways chief executive and deputy chairman of John Lewis Partnership.
The Government has ruled out any return to nationalisation of the railways, saying that the eview will build on the government’s franchising strategy “to improve services and value for money for passengers”.
Keith Williams will be supported by an external panel and will report next year. The government will publish a white paper on the review’s recommendations, with the implementation of reforms planned to start from 2020.
The panel will consider all parts of the rail industry, from the current franchising system and industry structures, accountability, and value for money for passengers and taxpayers.
The panel membership will include Roger Marsh, who chairs the body representing the 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships in the north of England.
The review has been launched ahead of the interim report by Professor Stephen Glaister into the timetabling issues in May. It will it take into account the findings of his final report at the end of the year.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “Privatisation has delivered huge benefits of passengers on Britain’s railways — doubling passenger journeys and bringing in billions of private investment.
“But it is clear that the structure we inherited is no longer fit to meet today’s challenges and cope with increasing customer demand. Following the disruption this summer we took immediate action to improve services and ensure the industry compensated passengers.
“We’ve been clear that the railway needs reform to prioritise its passengers, and we have set out plans for closer partnerships between operators of track and train, including on the LNER and South Eastern networks.
“But as part of our vision for the future of mobility, we need to go further and more quickly, to get the best from the public and private sectors and deliver the railway we need for the 21st century. It is vital that this review leaves no stone unturned and makes bold recommendations for the future.
“I am delighted that Keith Williams — who has significant experience leading businesses within the transport sector — has agreed to be the independent chair of this review. His expertise in driving customer service excellence will be incredibly valuable as we seek to reform the rail industry to become more passenger focused.
Keith Williams said: “It’s clear that Britain’s railway has seen unprecedented growth and is carrying more passengers than it did a century ago on a network a fraction of the size. But it also clear it faces significant challenges.
“I am looking forward to working with the industry and passengers to tackle these challenges.”
The government will set out the terms of reference of the review and the membership of the panel when Parliament returns. The Transport Secretary has asked that the review engages with a wide range of stakeholders in all parts of the country, including passenger representatives, businesses, and local and devolved bodies and governments.
