HM
the
King
has
confirmed
that
Great
British
Railways
will
be
created
and
private
sector
passenger
operators
nationalised.
► ‘Shadow’
Great
British
Railways
to
be
set
up
straight
away
to
start
industry
collaboration
► Two
railway
bills
planned:
one
to
allow
public
ownership,
the
other
to
create
full
GBR
► Ticketing
reforms,
Rail
Freight
support
and
welcome
for
open
access
where
it
‘adds
value’
► Plans
receive
broad
welcome,
but
Rail
Partners
claims
nationalisation
will
increase
costs
The
industry
has
been
swift
to
respond
to
the
King’s
Speech.
Railway
Industry
Association
chief
executive
Darren
Caplan
said
RIA
‘welcomes
today’s
King’s
Speech
as
a
strong
legislative
programme
for
driving
growth
by
building
sustainable
infrastructure
and
improving
transport.
‘RIA
and
our
members
support
the
Government’s
pledge
to
establish
a
reformed
and
unified
railway
system
under
Great
British
Railways
focused
on
improving
affordability,
reliability
and
performance.
A
new
body
with
strategic
oversight
and
responsibility
for
rail
can
focus
on
meeting
growing
passenger
demand
and
boosting
industry
revenues.
‘Rail
suppliers
will
also
be
positive
about
the
previously
announced
plans
to
set
out
a
strong
and
visible
pipeline
of
rail
work
for
the
sector
and
to
develop
a
long-term
industrial
strategy
for
rolling
stock.
Accelerating
new
train
orders
and
low
carbon
network
upgrades
can
fast-track
growth
by
boosting
jobs
and
skills
across
the
UK
and
we
would
encourage
the
new
Government
to
prioritise
such
investment.
We
look
forward
to
more
details
of
how
these
commitments
will
be
implemented
in
due
course.’
Union
reactions
The
general
secretary
of
the
RMT
Mick
Lynch
said:
‘We
welcome
today’s
announcements
specifically
around
removing
restrictions
on
trade
unions,
the
New
Deal
for
workers
and
the
rolling
out
of
public
ownership
of
our
railways.
‘These
achievements
are
down
to
pressure
from
the
trade
union
movement,
and
we
will
continue
to
articulate
what
is
in
the
best
interests
of
railway
workers
and
working
people
as
a
whole.
We
will
also
continue
to
actively
engage
with
the
government
on
the
pay
issues
in
our
sectors
which
can
be
resolved
quickly.
‘Labour
has
also
committed
to
upgrading
rail
connectivity
in
the
North.
Our
belief
is
that
HS2
remains
the
best
option
for
improving
transport
links,
promoting
economic
growth
and
building
a
modern
railway
infrastructure,
fit
for
the
21st
century.’
ASLEF
general
secretary
Mick
Whelan
also
welcomed
the
government’s
plans.
He
said:
‘Keir
Starmer
has
delivered
today
on
the
Labour
Party’s
manifesto
commitment
by
setting
out
plans
to
bring
Britain’s
railways
back
into
public
ownership.
‘This
is
the
right
decision,
at
the
right
time,
to
take
the
brakes
off
the
UK
economy
and
rebuild
Britain.
John
Major’s
decision
to
privatise
British
Rail
in
1994
was
foolish,
ideologically-driven,
and
doomed
to
fail.
It
was
described
even
by
that
arch-privateer
Margaret
Thatcher
as
“a
privatisation
too
far”
and
so
it
has
proved.
‘The
privateers
have
taken
hundreds
of
millions
of
pounds
from
our
railways
and
successive
Conservative
governments
have
pursued
a
policy
of
managed
decline
which
has
sold
taxpayers,
passengers,
and
staff
short.
‘Now
we
are
going
to
see
the
wheels
and
the
steel
put
back
together,
an
end
to
the
failed
fragmentation
of
our
network,
and
a
railway
brought
back
into
the
public
sector,
where
it
belongs,
to
be
run
as
a
public
service,
not
for
private
profit.’
‘Signal
of
intent’
Urban
Transport
Group
director
Jason
Prince
said:
‘The
King’s
Speech
sends
a
strong
signal
of
intent
that
this
Government
is
serious
about
transforming
our
transport
sector.
‘Our
rail
services
need
reform,
so
it
is
encouraging
that
the
Government
is
moving
ahead
with
the
creation
of
Great
British
Railways.
And
on
buses,
local
leaders
will
be
given
greater
powers
to
franchise
or
publicly
own
bus
services
–
powers
we
have
long
called
for.
‘Together
with
the
recognition
that
greater
devolution
can
herald
positive
change
for
local
communities,
these
new
Bills
could
lead
to
big
improvements
in
transport.’
Costs
warning
However,
the
private
sector
operators’
lobby
group
Rail
Partners
claimed
‘full
nationalisation
is
a
political
not
a
practical
solution,
which
will
increase
costs
over
time’.
Rail
Partners
chief
executive
Andy
Bagnall
said:
‘The
commitment
to
reform
in
today’s
King’s
Speech
is
an
important
milestone.
However,
getting
the
detail
right
below
the
headline
is
critical
to
achieving
the
government’s
ambitions
for
green
growth
and
reducing
the
railway’s
financial
burden
on
the
taxpayer.
‘We
want
the
same
outcomes
as
the
new
Labour
Government
–
a
better
railway
for
those
that
use
it
and
pay
for
it.
But
to
change
the
railway
for
the
better,
we
must
correctly
understand
the
causes
of
the
current
challenges
to
get
the
right
solutions
–
and
full
nationalisation
is
a
political
not
a
practical
solution,
which
will
increase
costs
over
time.
‘We
welcome
the
recognition
that
private
sector
freight
and
open
access
operators
have
a
lot
to
offer,
but
passenger
train
companies
also
have
a
track
record
of
growing
the
railway.
They
want
to
partner
with
the
government
to
achieve
this
success
again,
within
the
new
framework.’
The
programme
of
legislation
set
out
today
in
the
King’s
speech
will
be
debated
in
the
House
of
Commons
this
afternoon.
