The
Government


has
published
its
draft
Rail
Reform
Bill,
which
would
pave
the
way
to
giving
legal
status
to
the
proposed
‘guiding
mind’
Great
British
Railways.

GBR
is
referred
to
as
the
Integrated
Rail
Body,
and
the
draft
echoes
previous
suggestions
that
the
IRB
will
be
in
charge
of
awarding
and
monitoring
National
Rail
Contracts.

However,
the
Explanatory
Notes
which
accompany
the
text
of
the
draft
Bill
say
that
the
IRB
will
not
absorb
Network
Rail.

Instead,
Network
Rail
will
become
the
IRB,
and
the
responsibilities
which
will
come
under
the
IRB
will
be
transferred
to
it,
such
as
the
transport
secretary’s
present
power
to
award
operating
contracts.

The
words
franchise
and
franchising
are
used
to
describe
future
passenger
operating
contracts,
but
it
is
not
clear
how
the
new
franchises
will
resemble
the
original
version,
which
included
substantial
commercial
risk
for
operators.
Such
franchises
were
abolished
by
transport
secretary
Grant
Shapps
in
September
2020.

The
Department
for
Transport
says
the
Government
’is
committed
to
having
a
competitive
railway,
exploring
new
opportunities
for
open
access
operators’
but
part
of
the
Impact
Assessment
also
warns
that
‘When
considering
future
applications
for
access,
as
well
as
the
benefits
for
passengers,
the
government
wants
the
Office
for
Rail
and
Road
to
give
sufficient
weight
to
taxpayers’
interests
and
the
impact
that
proposed
services
will
have
on
public
funds’.

Neither
the
draft
Bill
nor
the
notes
which
have
been
been
published
with
it
give
any
details
about
who
would
manage
stations
or
make
decisions
about
future
rolling
stock.

Transport
secretary
Mark
Harper
said:
‘It’s
been
nearly
200
years
since
the
birth
of
the
British
railways,
and
with
travel
patterns
having
significantly
changed
over
the
last
few
years
it
is
now
more
important
than
ever
that
they
keep
up
with
the
changing
times.

‘This
draft
Bill
demonstrates
our
commitment
to
reforming
the
railways
–
working
with
industry,
we
will
move
towards
a
more
modern
and
financially
secure
rail
network
that
delivers
for
passengers
for
the
next
200
years
too.’

Labour’s
shadow
transport
secretary
Louise
Haigh
said:
‘It
is
fitting
that
the
Conservative’s
flagship
rail
reform
plan
has
arrived
so
late,
it
has
no
prospect
of
ever
becoming
law.

‘Years
after
they
promised
change,
they’ve
finally
admitted
they
can’t
and
won’t
fix
our
broken
railways.

‘Labour
is
the
only
party
that
will
reform
our
railways
–
we
will
bring
contracts
into
public
ownership
as
they
expire,
and
deliver
a
publicly
owned
and
unified
rail
network,
with
every
decision
tested
against
delivering
for
the
passenger
and
the
taxpayer.’