A new public body, Great British Railways (GBR), will be created to coordinate the country'sail network, transport secretary Mark Harper confirmed as he gave a damming overview of Britain’s railways.
In a speech to rail sector bosses, Harper remarked: “The railways, quite frankly, aren’t fit for purpose. We’re mired in industrial action, which lets down passengers and freight customers.
“Any other industry would have collapsed years ago but the railways have only survived because of the taxpayer,” he continued, highlighting that 70% of rail firms' income has come from public funding during the pandemic.
He confirmed a host of reforms, including that legislative powers and a headquarters will be signed off for Great British Railways this year, “finally treating the railway as the whole system it should be rather than a web of disparate interests”.
“The industry has long called for a guiding mind to coordinate the network so GBR will be responsible for track and train, as well as revenue and cost,” he said.
Ticketing will also be overhauled, allowing a wider rollout of a pay-as-you-go system used on the London Underground and a trial of cheaper single-leg fares on the East Coast mainline from spring, as well as a pricing system akin to airline seats.
Freight growth targets are set to be introduced too, as well as new passenger service contracts, aimed at boosting competition in the sector and sparking higher returns, after revenues post-pandemic revenues have dropped by well over £100mln each month.
“I want the private sector to play its most important role in our railways yet,” Harper said, “I will welcome new players to spur more innovation”.