The
future


‘directing
mind’
Great
British
Railways
has
been
described
in
more
detail
than
before
as
part
of
a
consultation
launched
today
by
the
Department
for
Transport.

Key
points
include
that
‘passengers
will
travel
on
GBR
trains,
running
on
GBR
tracks,
and
arrive
at
GBR
stations
–
all
run
by
the
expert
leadership
of
a
single
organisation
in
line
with
a
clear
strategic
direction
set
by
the
Secretary
of
State’.

Some
existing
railway
industry
organisations
will
no
longer
be
needed,
or
have
new
duties.

GBR
will
decide
track
access
charges
for
the
remaining
third-party
operators,
and
it
will
be
possible
for
them
to
appeal
to
the
Office
of
Rail
and
Road.
GBR
will
also
work
‘in
close
partnership’
with
the
private
sector,
while
the
Department
for
Transport
will
‘step
back
from
day-to-day
involvement
in
the
railway’.

The
Office
of
Rail
and
Road
will
concentrate
on
safety
and
efficiency.
The
ORR
will
no
longer
approve
access
or
direct
the
sale
of
access
rights
for
the
GBR
railway
and
will
not
set
standard
access
terms
for
GBR.

Third
party
operators
will 
have
‘fair
access’
to
the
network,
and
GBR
will
have
a
statutory
duty
to
promote
rail
freight.
Third
party
ticket
retailing
will
continue,
but
the
industry
functions
currently
managed
by
the
Rail
Delivery
Group,
including
retailing,
will
be
taken
over
by
GBR
as
part
of
its
‘simplified
sector
structure’. 

There
will
be
the
promised
‘new
voice
for
passengers’
in
the
shape
of
a
new
passenger
watchdog
which
will
able
to
hold
both
GBR
and
non-GBR
operators
to
account.

This
body
would
moderate
unresolved
passenger
complaints
and
resolve
disputes,
which
at
the
moment
is
the
responsibility
of
the
Rail
Ombudsman.
The
Ombudsman
could
cease
to
do
this,
or
alternatively
it
could
be
sponsored
by
the
new
watchdog
instead
of
the
ORR.
The
DfT
also
says
there
is
‘potential
for
the
new
watchdog
to
be
built
from
the
existing
passenger
watchdog
Transport
Focus’.

The
proposed
new
funding
process
will
‘take
the
best
of
e
current
periodic
review
and
control
period
system’,
and
core
settlements
will
still
last
for
five
years.
The
ORR
will
continue
to
monitor
business
plans
and
the
practicality
of
settlements.

The
system
of
train
driver
training
will
be
modernised,
with
‘outdated
criteria’
being
modernised
‘to
reflect
new
innovations,
technology
and
scientific
developments’.

The
consultation
runs
until
23.59
on
15
April.

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you
have
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this
story?
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