BRITAIN’s Department for Transport (DfT) has published a timetable of key upcoming steps and milestones as it progresses towards the introduction of Great British Railways (GBR) in 2027. The new public company, first proposed in 2021, will be responsible for managing Britain’s railway network and operating passenger services.
The DfT says the timetable of when consultations, policy strategies and regulatory documents supporting rail reform will be published is intended to offer “greater transparency and clarity for the public, industry, parliamentarians and other stakeholders.”
Among the key highlights of the timetable are the publication by Network Rail and DfT Operator of a rolling stock and infrastructure strategy and an implementation timetable for GBR, both of which are expected this summer. The rolling stock and infrastructure strategy will set out how the railway will align rolling stock, infrastructure and traction decisions over time while the implementation timetable will detail the implementation stages and target timings needed to ensure GBR can be implemented “at pace” following Royal Assent of the Railways Bill.
Further milestones envisaged for spring 2027 include the publication of the access and use policy document, which will set out how GBR will manage access to and use of the rail network, and publication by regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, of the proposed process for freight and open-access operators wishing to appeal a charging or access decision made by GBR.
Long-term strategy
The government will also publish a long-term rail strategy in autumn 2027. The strategy will provide the strategic objectives guiding both GBR and government decision-making, outlining the long-term outcomes the railway is expected to deliver over a 30-year period. A discussion paper setting out the government’s current thinking will be issued this summer.
“It will be the first strategy of its kind and ensure the entire sector has greater certainty and clarity about the long-term direction of travel for the railway,” DfT says.
Most passenger operations are now in public hands following the passage of the Public Ownership Act in 2024, with Govia Thameslink Railway, the largest single operator, the latest to enter public ownership on June 1. The Railways Bill, which will establish GBR in British law and bring together 17 separate organisations, including infrastructure manager Network Rail, is currently passing through Parliament.
The full timetable is available here.
Response
The Rail Industry Association (RIA), which represents industry suppliers, welcomed publication of the timetable for providing “much-needed visibility” on the next stages of rail reform.
“Suppliers will particularly want to see progress in developing clear long-term plans that give them confidence to invest,” says RIA chief executive, Darren Caplan. “Although the long-term rail strategy will now not be published until autumn 2027, which will surprise many in the railway industry, the long-term planning work around it must continue at pace and in collaboration with industry.”
