Plans to repair the fragmented rail system in the UK through Great British Railways (GBR) are in jeopardy, as legislation to give key powers to the organisation could be delayed, with GBR said to not be a priority for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
It comes after Derby was chosen to be the national headquarters of the body in March 2023.
Great British Railways is to be the new public body responsible for running Britain’s railways. It aims to deliver the most ambitious changes to our railways in a generation, working with the Government, across the rail sector and beyond.
GBR would integrate the railways across the country, owning the infrastructure, collecting fare revenue, running and planning the network, and setting most fares and timetables.
According to reports in The Times, however, GBR, will be left out of the upcoming King’s Speech, which sets out the legislative programme Government plans to pursue in the next parliamentary session, and thus not be given the legislative powers it requires to issue contracts and set fares – a major part of its role.
The Times indicates that sources within the Department for Transport (DfT) have been told GBR is low on the priority list for Rishi Sunak. With powers not set be given to the body in the next parliamentary session, the publication notes that it is believed that a shadow GBR with less powers will be created.
A DfT spokesperson, however, said the government is fully committed to reforming railways and will introduce legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.
