News Special – Great British Railways

Editor Mark Nicholls summarises the much-delayed Williams review, rebranded as the Williams-shapps Plan for Rail, and generally likes what he reads.

The editor ponders the We Williams-shapps Plan for Rail.

THE WILLIAMS-SHAPPS Plan for Rail is just that – a plan, one that has the potential to change Britain’s railways for decades to come. Having digested what was originally the Williams Report my overall impression is good, but with a few provisos.

When it was announced a month ago on May 20 (see RI July, p8) it concerned a new organisation, stateowned Great British Railways that will be formed to oversee Britain’s railways, with private companies still running the trains, albeit not as franchises but under direct award contracts, with rewards based on punctuality, quality and passenger satisfaction.

Although the Williams report was due to be published a long time ago, the pandemic changed everything when passenger numbers plummeted 95% and the whole railway financial structure was on the brink of collapse. The Government stepped in to take on the financial risk and backed the railways up with vast sums of taxpayers’ money. This was the right thing to do, but it showed up spectacularly how vulnerable is the position of franchises in such circumstances. Various forms of emergency measures were introduced to support the operators, but it was obvious that everything had to change in the longer term. The new plan lays out the principles of how this is supposed to work, but in some areas more details have yet to be given – something that should be made clearer over the next couple of years as those very details are thrashed out. Most importantly, it gives control back to experienced railway managers by eliminating Department for Transport micromanagement. This is something I’ve been calling for all along – you need people in charge who understand railways and how they work, not civil servants. And finally, it will sort out fares reform, something we all know is vitally required to simplify the matter for passengers and bring back uniformity across the UK – the same fares regardless of the operator. This is because the Train Operating Companies will have to follow the fares set out by the DFT. This will be very similar to the system used by Transport for London. No longer will passengers need to search through the various TOC websites for the best fares, it will all be centralised on the GBR website, making things much simpler. That said, the concessions, especially long-distance ones, will be allowed some freedom to control some fares settings and also to provide a wider range of advanced tickets. In addition, Network Rail will be absorbed by GBR meaning the new public body will end the fragmentation that’s taken place since 1996 and reunite trains, tracks, timetables and fares under a single body. This should all be completed by 2024, with the trains and tracks coming together under a unified brand once more. The infrastructure side will continue to be funded in five-year periods, the investment in infrastructure will be centralised, as will fares strategy. Of particular interest will be the branding, which is to return to the former British Rail double arrow symbol and use the Rail Alphabet typeface. A decision on whether a uniform livery will be carried has yet to be made. This would certainly do away with the multitude of expensive rebranding that used to occur every time a ‘franchise’ changed hands.

For the TOCS the old franchise contracts will be replaced by Passenger Service Contracts, which will be very similar to the Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements currently in place. This will involve the operators being paid a fixed fee to manage the service, with incentives to provide a good quality experience. Some aspects in Wales and Scotland will be different as they have devolved governments and already have agreements to run their trains. However, GBR will retain control of the infrastructure (as per Network Rail) and could well introduce some regional branding to the relevant rolling stock. This will all be complex to introduce and so the Government has established a Rail Transformation Programme to outline the phases of delivery and work with the various companies to set up the requirements of the White Paper smoothly.

So, what’s next? Well firstly, the Government has asked Network Rail’s CEO Andrew Haines to plan interim arrangements while it raises the necessary legislation for GBR in Parliament. Among the first things to be rolled out will be ticketing, with contactless, ‘pay as you go’ and digital smartphone options all expected to be introduced. Flexible season tickets are due to be launched on June 21, for use from June 28, to allow for the varying work patterns of many commuters who have changed their working arrangements to include some days working from home.

The only potential ‘fly in the ointment’ appears to be the unions which, as usual, resent the retention of private companies that have invested millions in the UK rail network over the years. However, these companies will only be paid if they provide the required level of service, and let’s not forget the amount of innovation and new rolling stock they’ve introduced since 1996. That said, in order to remain efficient, productivity will undoubtedly have to increase and so changes to some working practices will be inevitable, which will no doubt cause more friction. Grant Shapps said upon the release of the Plan: “GBR marks a new era in the history of our railways. It will become a single familiar brand with a bold new vision for passengers – of punctual services, simpler tickets and a green railway that meets the needs of the nation.”

Not before time!