Home / Sources / Select Committees / Transport Committee / Railways Bill
Index live
Select Committee · Transport Committee

Railways Bill

Status: Closed Opened: 5 Nov 2025 Closed: 21 Jul 2026 22 recommendations 11 conclusions 1 report

The Government has introduced the Railways Bill to Parliament to legislate for its commitment to unify network operations with infrastructure management under a single organisation – Great British Railways. The Bill is expected to go through ‘line by line’ scrutiny by a Public Bill Committee, which is separate to the Transport Committee. Given the significant … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
8th Report - Railways Bill HC 1472 10 Feb 2026 33 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
20 Recommendation 8th Report - Railways Bill Not Addressed

Add Passengers' Council Chair to posts requiring pre-appointment parliamentary committee hearings.

To enhance and help safeguard the independence of the Passengers’ Council, we recommend that the Chair of its board be added to the list of posts for which our Committee is expected to hold a pre-appointment hearing with the Government’s preferred candidate. (Recommendation, Paragraph 57) Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response discusses working with local leaders through GBR business units and MSAs, but fails to address the recommendation to add the Passengers’ Council Chair to the list of posts for pre-appointment hearings.
Read full response →
Department for Transport
28 Recommendation 8th Report - Railways Bill Not Addressed

Amend the Bill to clarify capacity duty only applies post-infrastructure plan development.

While the Government insists that the intended relationship between clause 60 and clause 63 is clear, multiple stakeholders disagree. The Bill should be amended to make it clear that the capacity duty does not apply until after an infrastructure capacity plan has been developed. (Recommendation, Paragraph 72) Read more

Government response AI summary
The government disagrees that the Bill needs amending and will instead provide additional clarity which Ministers would be happy to repeat on the floor of the House to reassure stakeholders and the Committee alike; clause 63 duty does not apply at that stage.
Read full response →
Department for Transport
31 Recommendation 8th Report - Railways Bill Not Addressed

Require GBR to enter mayoral partnerships and give weight to MSA local transport plans.

Mechanisms in the Bill comprising the new statutory role for Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) could risk being too subject to goodwill. GBR should be required to enter into mayoral partnerships when requested to do so by an MSA whose request meets certain criteria in line with the Long Term Rail … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with the Committee that the Bill needs to be amended, legislation is not needed to ensure engagement with local leaders on the Long-Term Rail Strategy and the Bill is clear that GBR must have regard to Local Transport Plans of MSAs.
Read full response →
Department for Transport

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
7 Jan 2026 Jeremy Westlake · Network Rail, Lucy Ryan · Department for Transport, Richard Goodman · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, The Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE · Department for Transport View ↗
17 Dec 2025 Bill Reeve · Transport Scotland, Fiona Hyslop MSP · The Scottish Government, Jamie Ross · Liverpool City Region, Jason Prince · Urban Transport Group, Mal Drury-Rose · West Midlands Rail Executive, Peter McDonald · The Welsh Government View ↗
10 Dec 2025 Alex Campbell · Transport Focus, Alex Robertson · Transport Focus, Anthony Smith · Independent Rail Retailers, Ben Plowden · Campaign for Better Transport, David Pitt · SilverRail Technologies UK Ltd, Emma Vogelmann · Transport for All, John Davies · Trainline, Sue Sharp · Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee View ↗
26 Nov 2025 John Larkinson · Office of Rail and Road, Maggie Simpson OBE · Rail Freight Group, Nick Brooks · AllRail, Stephanie Tobyn · Office of Rail and Road, Steve Montgomery · FirstRail View ↗

Who gave evidence

23 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Alex Campbell · Director of Insight and Policy Transport Focus 1
Alex Robertson · Chief Executive Transport Focus 1
Anthony Smith · Chair Independent Rail Retailers 1
Ben Plowden · Chief Executive Campaign for Better Transport 1
Bill Reeve · Director of Rail Reform Transport Scotland 1
David Pitt · Vice President SilverRail Technologies UK Ltd 1
Emma Vogelmann · Co-Chief Executive Transport for All 1
Fiona Hyslop MSP · Cabinet Secretary for Transport The Scottish Government 1
Jamie Ross · Director of Transport Liverpool City Region 1
Jason Prince · Director Urban Transport Group 1
Jeremy Westlake · Chief Executive Network Rail 1
John Davies · Vice President for Industrial Relations Trainline 1
John Larkinson · CEO Office of Rail and Road 1
Lucy Ryan · Director for Rail Transformation Programme Department for Transport 1
Maggie Simpson OBE · Director General Rail Freight Group 1
Mal Drury-Rose · Executive Director West Midlands Rail Executive 1
Nick Brooks · Director General AllRail 1
Peter McDonald · Director of Transport and Connectivity The Welsh Government 1
Richard Goodman · Director General, Building Safety, Grenfell and N… Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities 1
Stephanie Tobyn · Director of Strategy, Policy and Reform Office of Rail and Road 1
Steve Montgomery · Managing Director FirstRail 1
Sue Sharp · Deputy Chair Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee 1
The Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE · Minister of State for Rail Department for Transport 1

Correspondence

6 letters
DateDirectionTitle
3 Jun 2026 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Rail, Department for Transport relating to the Rai…
28 Jan 2026 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Rail, Department for Transport relating to the Rai…
4 Dec 2025 To cttee Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Welsh Governme…
26 Nov 2025 To cttee Letter from the Leader of the House relating to the passage and scrutiny of the…
12 Nov 2025 To cttee Letter from the Secretary of State for Transport relating to the introduction o…
30 Oct 2025 To cttee Letter from the Chair of the Committee to the Leader of the House relating to t…