GBR legislation to be taken forward

Great British Railways will become a powerful body, but measures will be put in place to allow accountability.

AT THE state opening of parliament on May 10, the Government announced that legislation would be introduced to create Great British Railways (GBR). The content that can be expected was published in May 2021 in the form of the WilliamsShapps plan for the future. The plan asserts that GBR will be a powerful body, which is necessary to bring about change, but the risk is identified that it may become too powerful, or at least empowered to make decisions that are not in the public interest. There is clearly a memory of the erstwhile Strategic Rail Authority (20012006), which was given a free hand to determine policy that was not always consistent with good outcomes for rail users, and it developed a bias in favour of passenger rather than freight operations. The GBR plan stated it would be easy to improve punctuality on a given line by halving the train service; create more time for maintenance by permanently ending evening trains; and save money by cutting services or facilities rather than tackle inefficient or wasteful practices. But a series of strong measures and structures are promised to prevent these happening and create accountability to passengers, freight customers and taxpayers. Funding streams will be conditional on meeting the Government’s commitment to growing the network, and attracting greater passenger numbers.

The structure is aimed at finding a balance between a whole-system view – particularly for freight and cross-country services – and the needs of local communities and regions. Strategic decisions will be taken centrally, with operational matters led by five regional divisions that will mirror the Network Rail organisation. Each division will be led by a customer-focused leadership team that decides priorities for investment. It is believed a major future benefit of integrating functions in the manner proposed is to provide a clear line of sight over costs, benefits and opportunities for efficiency and growth, with an ability to make substantial net savings by reducing duplication, interface costs and complexity. Savings from reform will take several years to realise, but industry experts suggest that after an initial five-year implementation period, substantial annual cost savings can be achieved of £1.5 billion a year, equivalent to 15% of revenue from fares before the pandemic.

Devolved services

Existing devolved authorities in Scotland, Wales, London, Merseyside, and Tyne and Wear will continue to exercise their current powers and set fares on their services working in partnership with GBR, which will use one website and app, and delivering consistent branding and passenger standards. The remit of Transport Focus will be reformed to make it the passenger champion. It will conduct research and engage passengers on their experience of rail travel, and take on new responsibilities to champion the passenger experience. As is now the case for NR, the Office for Rail and Road will scrutinise the delivery of business objectives and provide expert advice to the Secretary of State and devolved administrations. ORR will scrutinise long-term asset conditions and efficiency to inform funding decisions for the five-year control period plans. It will report on whole system efficiency and workforce pay to maximise effectiveness. Following legislation, ORR will also act as an appeals body for operators, including passenger open access and freight, and suppliers to ensure GBR applies policies fairly, including track access decisions and charges. ORR will be able to direct GBR to change decisions that are not in line with the future access system underpinned by legislation. There will be no immediate change to the safety and standards roles, including those of the ORR, Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) and British Transport Police, which will continue as an operationally independent police force for the rail network across Great Britain. However, There will be change to the cross-industry functions provided by the Rail Delivery Group who provide National Rail Enquiries, systems for ticketing and retail, and cross-sector coordination. These activities will transfer to GBR, but the RDG will continue to maintain their own independent trade association.

HS2 Ltd and East West Rail

Ltd will retain their current roles, working closely with GBR as it takes over responsibilities for integration from the Department for Transport and NR.

New freight emphasis

There will be changes to the track access regime, but existing access contracts will be honoured, and private operators will continue to have clear legal rights that allow them to respond to their customers as part of a rules-based regime. New legislation will give GBR powers and duties to plan the use of the network, balancing priorities and for example delivering high-quality freight access where it is most needed.

“A series of strong measures and structures are promised to create accountability to passengers, freight customers and taxpayers”

PROPERTY company Bruntwood has agreed the sale of its Square One site on Travis Street in Manchester as preparations are made for the construction of the city’s new HS2 rail hub, alongside the current Piccadilly station.

The Square One building, which was formerly a

Parcelforce depot standing to the east of the current station, has been leased by Network Rail as its North West office centre since 2010.

It is the second major property acquisition by HS2 (on behalf of the Department for Transport) related to the project in just over a year, following the purchase of land at Store Street.

Forecast to open between 2035 and 2040, the new station will include six platforms at surface level for HS2 and future Northern Powerhouse Rail services. Beneath the

HS2 station, four platforms for Metrolink services are planned.

With the connections that it will provide, HS2 Ltd says the surrounding area is a prime location for new commercial space, housing and public areas.

Agreement

HS2’s chief commercial officer Ruth Todd described the agreement reached over the Square One site as a “vote of confidence for investors locally and internationally to leverage the wider regeneration potential of the surrounding area, knowing that Manchester is set to become so brilliantly connected.”

Bruntwood says it intends to reinvest the proceeds into driving regional economic growth.

Network Rail says it is working with HS2 to vacate the site in time for an anticipated start to work in 2025 and is exploring options for a future office location.

CHRIS WEST Freight companies like GBRf have been one of the successes since Privatisation in the 1990s, and their rights to access on the network will be protected under the GBR plan. Re-engineered No. 69003 passes Barnes on April 21 with the empty 4Y19 from Mountfield Sidings (East Sussex) to Southampton Western Docks.

PHIL MARSH HS2 and EWR will work with GBR as it takes over responsibilities from the DfT and Network Rail. Track pulling on the EWR route was underway three miles west of Bletchley on May 9.

GREENER CUBBINGTON CUTTING: An open cutting with grass slopes will replace concrete retaining walls previously planned for a stretch of the HS2 route at Cubbington in Warwickshire. The updated design also raises the height of the line, avoiding the need to extract 150,000 cubic metres of soil. Two ‘green’ overbridges, which will incorporate native grassland and hedgerows to encourage wildlife to use them as habitats and crossings, will connect to existing footpaths. Twelve hectares of woodland are to be planted close to South Cubbington Wood. HS2

LIZZIE GETS TO WORK: Named after the Queen by Year 8 students (pictured) from The Misbourne School in Great Missenden, miniature Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Lizzie will create a 300m length of drainage tunnel close to the northern portal of HS2’s Chiltern tunnel. The 8.9m-long TBM will excavate and line the tunnel with 120 concrete jacking pipes, working at a pace of around 5m per day. An identical machine named Marsha, after gay and transgender rights activist Marsha P Johnson, will work on a further 450m of the drainage tunnel. HS2

PETER MCDERMOTT CC BYSA 2.0 The Square One building on Travis Street, pictured in October 2019, is currently used by Network Rail. Piccadilly station is just out of shot to the right.

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