The Government is launching eight-week consultation on the creation of Great British Railways to fix the nation’s “broken” transport system.
The Rewiring of our railways will end decades of poor service, waste and timetable chaos says the Government as plans in the landmark rail reform bill will see it establish a powerful passenger watchdog
Part of the bill will give devolved leaders more of a say on the services that directly impact their towns and cities, working together to integrate transport making it simpler to travel and attracting more people to the railways.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has already announced plans to integrate Greater Manchester’s Railways into the already established Bee Network
Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander said:
“Passengers have put up with broken railways for far too long. This landmark reform will sweep away decades of failure, creating a Great British Railways passengers can rely on.
“We’re giving passengers a powerful voice with a new watchdog dedicated to addressing their biggest concerns, building railways people can trust, improving our services and boosting the economy in the process – the priority in our Plan for Change.”
The new independent watchdog will be tasked with ensuring GBR addresses the issues that consistently rank highest in passenger complaints, rooting out the problems that cause poor journeys, ensuring passengers are given clear information when they travel, and help tackle the maze of confusing rail fares and tickets passengers have to navigate.
It will hold operators to account on behalf of passengers and arbitrate where passengers are not satisfied about the handling of a complaint.
Working with the Transport Secretary and GBR, it will also be given the powers to set clear standards for passengers on things like journey information and assistance, investigate persistent problems, and publish reports on poor service. Where poor passenger experiences are identified, it will be able to refer this to the railway regulator for enforcement action.
