AFTER seven years of work, clear progress is now being made with Britian’s rail reform programme, Laura Shoaf, chair of Shadow Great British Railways (GBR), said as she addressed the Railway Industry Association’s (RIA) annual conference in London on November 6.
“GBR is coming and it is coming soon,” Shoaf said, speaking the day after the Railways Bill that will bring GBR into being, reuniting infrastructure management with passenger operations within the public sector, was introduced by to Parliament by the government.
Shadow GBR aims to make progress with reform while Parliament considers the bill, laying the groundwork for closer collaboration. It was created by infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR), the Rail Services Group of the Department for Transport (DfT), and DfT Operator (DfTO), which is taking over passenger operations as contracts with the private sector come to an end.
NR and DfTO will be merged to create GBR, but further details of the new organisation and a clear timescale for implementing the greatest change to Britain’s national network for over 30 years have yet to emerge. It is expected that it will take two years for GBR to become fully operational.
“The bill opens the door to rail reform, but doesn’t define what is beyond the door,” Shoaf said, hence the need for Shadow GBR to make progress before the bill is passed and as the details of the new industry structure are developed. “I hope that I can give you confidence that progress is being made,” she said.
While confident that GBR would come into being, Shoaf stressed that the pace of future progress was now in the hands of Parliament. “Only a fool would give an exact timetable,” she said. “Parliament has to pass the bill.”
Greater role for regulator
Presenting his initial assessment of the bill and the government’s response to consultation on its proposals earlier this year, John Larkinson, chief executive of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), was clear that transformational change on a massive scale is in prospect.
Contrary to fears expressed by the industry during consultation that Britain’s rail regulator would have fewer powers under the new structure, particularly regarding network access for operators remaining outside GBR such as freight and open-access, Larkinson said that ORR’s role will expand, requiring a major transformation to deliver its new responsibilities.
On network access, ORR will no longer decide on applications, as train paths will be allocated by GBR to make best use of capacity, taking into consideration national and local needs and meeting the policy objectives set by the secretary of state for transport. “The government wants GBR to own the timetable,” Larkinson said, explaining how those operators accounting for the 25% of train-km outside GBR will be able to appeal to ORR if GBR declines an application for paths.
More details of the future access regime will follow the development of GBR’s access and use policy, with Larkinson noting that a draft had yet to be published. He stressed that ORR would no longer have a duty to promote competition when considering appeals, although the rights of freight and open-access would be protected as well as private-sector investment.
To ensure a balance between the public body and the private sector, GBR will be required to ring fence ticket retailing from all other activities. As part of plans to create what Shoaf described as a railway with the passenger at its heart, GBR will ultimately create its own unified website and app, replacing 14 operator ticketing platforms.
