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

5 items
16 Recommendation 8th Report - Railways Bill Rejected

Amend Bill to require Secretary of State to set a passenger journey growth target.

The Bill should be amended to include a duty on the Secretary of State to set a passenger journey growth target similar to the duty to set a freight growth target in clause 17. A target would incentivise commercially-minded improvements to services. This must not come at the expense of … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation to include a duty on the Secretary of State to set a passenger journey growth target, arguing that GBR's existing duties already address this and will enable sensible decisions to target passenger growth across the network.
Read full response →
Department for Transport
18 Conclusion 8th Report - Railways Bill Rejected

Passengers' Council reliance on ORR for enforcement adds complexity to complaints system.

The reliance of the Passengers’ Council on the Office of Rail and Road to take enforcement action could add complexity and delay to an already complicated system for complaints, enforcement and remedies, and we are concerned that an opportunity to streamline these elements of the railway could be missed. (Conclusion, … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with amending the Bill to require ORR to take action on referrals from the Passengers' Council, stating there's already a robust appeal route to the ORR and that the ORR needs a holistic view.
Read full response →
Department for Transport
19 Recommendation 8th Report - Railways Bill Rejected

Amend Bill to require ORR to act on Passengers' Council referrals within a timeframe.

The Passengers’ Council will be required by the Bill to protect passengers’ rights through monitoring operators’ compliance with its standards and receiving, considering and investigating complaints. It must be trusted to carry out that role. We consider it unlikely in the extreme that the Council would find a frivolous matter … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with amending the Bill to mandate GBR to enter into arrangements with Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs), stating that enabling arrangements provides flexibility and that legislation is not needed to ensure engagement with local leaders.
Read full response →
Department for Transport
27 Conclusion 8th Report - Railways Bill Rejected

Rail freight growth requires stronger incentives and greater certainty within the Bill.

We welcome the requirement in clause 17 for the Secretary of State to set a target to increase freight on the railways and the duty in clause 18(2)b. We note that the Government is aware of the risk that GBR would not otherwise have an incentive to grow rail freight. … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government disagrees that the Bill needs amending to clarify the relationship between clause 60 and clause 63 and will instead provide additional clarity to reassure stakeholders.
Read full response →
Department for Transport
30 Recommendation 8th Report - Railways Bill Rejected

Amend the Bill to allow freight operators broader appeal grounds for access decisions.

While the role of open access passenger services is a matter for debate, we note that it is the Government’s clear intention to promote greater freight use of the railway. The appeal mechanism for open access decisions set out in the Bill—applying judicial review principles—is overly narrow and jeopardises this … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with amending the Bill to give freight operators the ability to appeal access decisions to the Office of Rail and Road, stating that there is already a robust route of appeal to the ORR within the Bill and the ORR applying judicial …
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…