Select committee: Transport Committee
Recommendation 16
8th Report - Railways Bill
Published 10 Feb 2026
Addressed to Department for Transport
Transport Committee Railways Bill All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
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 freight, which should be reflected in the Bill. Increasing passenger journeys will help achieve the Government’s aims to support growth and decarbonisation through connectivity and modal shift. It is also fundamental to the purpose of GBR—so seems an odd omission from the legislation. (Recommendation, Paragraph 47)
From: Transport Committee, 8th Report - Railways Bill (HC 1472), 10 February 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 24 April 2026 (deadline 10 April 2026).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government welcomes the Committee's report and supports the Bill's main purpose, but on many recommendations it agrees only in part, notes them or disagrees that amending the Bill is needed.
- On timelines, it agrees with Recommendation 1 and is "happy to commit to publishing a document this Spring" outlining key documents and target dates.
- On the Long Term Rail Strategy, it partially agrees and disagrees the Bill is the place for more detail, but will publish a discussion document alongside Bill passage through the House of Lords.
- On the Secretary of State's power of direction (clause 7), it partially agrees but disagrees that amending the Bill is necessary, citing existing precedent and public law.
- On GBR's licence, it "will aim to publish" a policy document on the draft licence's contents before Commons Report Stage, with full consultation beginning later this year.