Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
8th Report - Railways Bill
Transport Committee
HC 1472
Published 10 February 2026
Recommendations
20
Not Addressed
Add Passengers' Council Chair to posts requiring pre-appointment parliamentary committee hearings.
Recommendation
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 …
Read more
Government Response 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.
Department for Transport
View Details →
28
Not Addressed
Amend the Bill to clarify capacity duty only applies post-infrastructure plan development.
Recommendation
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 …
Read more
Government Response 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.
Department for Transport
View Details →
31
Not Addressed
Require GBR to enter mayoral partnerships and give weight to MSA local transport plans.
Recommendation
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 …
Read more
Government Response 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.
Department for Transport
View Details →