Transport
secretary
Mark
Harper
last
night
promised
to
continue
setting
up
the
railway’s
new
‘guiding
mind’,
Great
British
Railways.
The
process
seemed
to
have
stalled
last
year
when
plans
to
introduce
the
necessary
legislation
were
put
on
hold,
with
the
government
saying
that
there
was
not
enough
Parliamentary
time
this
session.
However,
in
the
2023
Bradshaw
address,
the
transport
secretary
said
he
would
be
announcing
the
winner
of
the
competition
to
host
GBR’s
headquarters
before
Easter,
and
then
respond
to
the
consultation
on
GBR’s
legislative
powers
by
the
summer.
He
also
promised
a
major
role
for
the
private
sector
in
the
future
railway,
after
the
collapse
of
franchising
during
the
Covid
pandemic:
‘We
will
create
a
more
customer
focused
and
joined
up
railway.
But
we
want
to
go
further,
I
want
to
go
further,
and
actually
enhance
the
role
of
the
private
sector.
Not
just
in
running
services
but
in
maximising
competition,
innovation,
and
revenue
growth
right
across
the
industry.’
He
added:
‘I
want
the
private
sector
to
play
its
most
important
role
in
our
railways
yet.
To
reinvigorate
the
sector,
drive
innovation
and
most
importantly,
attract
more
customers
to
the
railway.
It
will
do
so
in
partnership
with
GBR.
GBR
will
help
set
the
right
commercial
conditions
across
several
key
areas.
‘There
will
be
new
Passenger
Service
Contracts
that
will
balance
the
right
performance
incentives
with
simple,
commercially
driven
targets.
But
they
won’t
be
a
one-size
fits
all
approach.
In
the
past,
we
know
some
operators
took
on
more
financial
risk
than
they
could
handle.
So,
now
that
risk
will
sit
where
it
is
best
managed
and
that
includes
with
operators,
but
only
where
it
drives
the
best
outcomes
for
passengers
and
taxpayers.
We
shouldn’t
be
afraid
to
let
managing
directors
of
train
operating
companies
actually
manage
and
direct
their
operations.
Which
is
not
what
they’re
able
to
do
at
the
moment.
‘We’ll
also
open
up
railway
data
and
systems,
whilst
lowering
barriers
to
entry
for
the
industry.
For
ticketing,
that
means
a
more
competitive
retail
market
and
I
will
welcome
new
players
to
spur
more
innovation
and
give
passengers
the
services
they
need.
‘We
will
expand
commercial
opportunities
around
land
and
property
near
stations.
In
Japan,
rail
companies
take
full
advantage
of
these
investments,
generating
even
more
income
for
the
railways
and
we
should
look
to
do
the
same.’
His
plans
to
simplify
ticketing
have
mainly
concerned
the
abolition
of
return
fares,
to
be
replaced
by
‘single
leg’
tariffs,
which
has
been
tried
on
LNER
and
will
be
extended
this
spring.
But
he
also
wants
fares
to
vary
according
to
how
busy
each
train
is.
He
said:
‘We’re
also
going
to
learn
from
the
aviation
sector
and
better
manage
capacity
as
well
as
raise
revenue
by
trialling
demand-based
pricing
on
some
LNER
services
too.’
There
was
encouraging
news
for
open
access
operators,
because
Mr
Harper
will
support
more
of
them
‘where
it
benefits
passengers
and
taxpayers’.
Reaction
was
coming
in
barely
before
Mr
Harper
had
finished
his
speech.
The
Railway
Industry
Association’s
CEO
Darren
Caplan
said:
‘The
Railway
Industry
Association
and
our
members
will
welcome
the
clarity
on
rail
reform
provided
by
transport
secretary
Mark
Harper.
The
clarity
around
GBR,
which
the
secretary
of
state
was
clear
will
be
a
strategic
guiding
mind
rather
than
a
controlling
mind,
is
essential
to
ensuring
that
rail
projects
are
delivered
cost-effectively
and
efficiently
by
the
rail
supply
chain,
providing
value
for
money
to
both
the
fare
payer
and
the
tax
payer.’
The
Campaign
for
Better
Transport
was
also
in
favour.
The
CBT’s
Norman
Baker
said:
‘This
was
a
very
encouraging
speech
from
the
transport
tecretary.
It’s
particularly
encouraging
to
see
a
way
forward
for
growing
passenger
and
freight
business,
as
opposed
to
making
cuts
to
save
money.
‘The
challenge
now
is
for
the
transport
secretary
and
rail
minister
to
make
this
happen.’
