Delayed review becomes the Williams-Shapps Plan For Rail

WITH the rail review by former British Airways chairman Keith Williams more than 18 months overdue, it has emerged the report has a new name and a co-author. Although the report has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, during which time the Government has taken all rail franchises in-house, in a House of Commons question on April 20, Rachel Maclean, Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Department for Transport, said: “We are also currently preparing the Williams-Shapps Plan For Rail to deliver a more efficient, affordable and greener rail network, and a bold and ambitious Transport Decarbonisation Plan to achieve net zero emissions.” Rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris confirmed the Government intends on publishing a White Paper with plans for rail reform “soon”, but gave no further indication on timescales.