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Select committee: Public Accounts Committee

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Thirty-eighth report from Session 2023-24

Published 11 July 2025

Public Accounts Committee Rail reform: The rail transformation programme Report on parliament.uk ↗

At a glance

The government's response

This document responds to Thirty-Eighth Report - Rail reform: The rail transformation programme.

This is the government's response, published 11 July 2025.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government states that it "agrees with the Committee's recommendation" on each of the six recommendations, with target implementation dates ranging from Winter 2024 to Spring 2025, and one marked as already implemented.

  • On delivering reform, it states the department is "remobilising" and preparing for the mobilisation of shadow Great British Railways, and will "set out next steps shortly". Further legislation to create GBR was announced in the King's Speech.
  • On passenger focus, it says GBR will be "incentivised by targets and performance criteria set by the Secretary of State", and a new Passenger Standards Authority will independently monitor standards.
  • On subsidy and value for money, the department "expects to see these reforms delivered over the course of this parliamentary term" as legislation is enacted and private operators move into public ownership. The target implementation date given is Spring 2025.
  • On accessibility, it says the department "will set out next steps as soon as possible" and will use accessibility audit data from all 2,575 stations to target future investment decisions.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Sources