Updated 13.25A draft Rail Reform Bill which would set up the new ’guiding mind’ Great British Railways has been included in the King’s Speech in the House of Lords today. Briefing notes which have been published by the Government say: ‘Given the scale and complexity of the changes being made to the sector, it is right that the draft Bill undergoes pre-legislative scrutiny to provide Parliamentarians and experts across industry the opportunity to review and test the legislation in draft. This will allow for a swifter passage through Parliament when the legislation is brought forward.’ But the Bill’s draft status has disappointed some observers in the rail industry. Lobbying group Rail Partners’ chief executive Andy Bagnall said: ‘The recommitment to establishing Great British Railways with the publication of a draft bill is a step forward, but it is a missed opportunity to not actually legislate in this Parliament. ‘The rail industry has been awaiting progress on reform since the Williams Review started over five years ago, culminating in the Plan for Rail being published in 2021. Delivering that plan remains the best foundation to build a better railway for Britain, and not seizing the moment now means continuing uncertainty until after the next General Election.’ Norman Baker, from the charity Campaign for Better Transport, said: ‘We welcome the renewed commitment to Great British Railways as a guiding mind and arms-length body but it is not clear why this is a draft Rail Reform Bill rather than a commitment to legislate given this has already been subject to extensive discussion and is largely non-controversial across all the political parties.’ Former Strategic Rail Authority chairman and chief executive Richard Bowker told the PA press agency: ‘I am genuinely struggling to see why it is so complex that, two-and-a-half years since the Williams-Shapps plan was announced, we’re still only at this point. ‘Anything that moves us towards a world where government officials have less to do with the day-to-day running things is good news, but why so slow? Time is really of the essence. What have you been doing for two-and-a-half years? ‘There’s no doubt that, if you have a disrupted, unreliable railway, it affects people’s willingness to travel. ‘We’ve got to get this industrial relations issue resolved, and we’ve got to get back to absolute basics in terms of running a boring, reliable railway. ‘Anything that resolves the issues of today and starts getting the basic things right, we’ve got to get on with it fast, because if we’re not careful, people will lose faith.’ Railway Industry Association chief executive Darren Caplan said: ‘The Railway Industry Association and 70 of our members campaigned on this earlier this year, writing to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, about the need to take the establishment of Great British Railways forward, to provide some certainty about rail restructure and avoid hiatus in decision-making. ‘And so whilst we would have wanted a full Transport Bill providing for GBR, today’s inclusion of a Draft Bill does seem to be progress and a statement of Government intent to reform rail, ultimately bringing track and train closer together, and developing a “guiding mind” and a long-term plan for the railways. We urge the Government to begin the pre-legislative scrutiny process without delay.’ Urban Transport Group director Jason Prince said: ‘Many of the much-needed transport laws promised in the current Parliamentary session have once again failed to materialise. Although we welcome the prospect of a new Automated Vehicles Bill, it is disappointing that the Government has only presented a draft Rail Reform Bill, effectively leaving any prospect of reform this side of the General Election stuck in the sidings.’

Most of the Docklands Light Railway is closed today, as two 24-hour strikes start. The dispute over pay is between the RMT and the operator Keolis Amey Docklands, which runs the system under contract to Transport for London. TfL said trains are running only between Canning Town and Beckton. A second walkout is planned for tomorrow, and there could also be some disruption early on Thursday morning. Strike law Today’s King’s Speech is expected to outline plans for a new law which will force unions to provide a 40 per cent service during rail strikes. The RMT has labelled Minimum Service Levels legislation as ‘an assault on the fundamental freedoms of working people’. General secretary Mick Lynch warned that such a law could cause more strikes, and added: ‘We believe employers have the discretion not to issue minimum service work notices. Any employer that seeks to issue a work notice will find themselves in a further dispute with my union.’ HS2 plan The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport has published a 10-point plan following the cancellation of HS2 to Crewe and Manchester. CILT said it remains ‘deeply disappointed’ following the Prime Minister’s decision last month. Its plan calls for an independent inquiry into the problems with HS2, and is also calling for land already bought for the route to Crewe to be safeguarded. It wants an ‘urgent review’ of the options for easing bottlenecks on the West Coast Main Line, and says there needs to be more emphasis on freight as well as another thousand kilometres of electrification.

Station demonstration arrests Five people were arrested for taking part in an unlawful protest after the government had banned a demonstration at London King’s Cross by Palestinian supporters on Friday evening. Transport secretary Mark Harper said: ‘While the right to peaceful protest is a key part of our democratic society, it cannot be at the expense of other people’s right not to be seriously disrupted or intimidated. That’s why I have granted consent for the British Transport Police to make an order under Section 14A of the Public Order Act 1986 prohibiting the planned protest at Kings Cross.’ DLR walkouts Two strikes are expected to disrupt Docklands Light Railway services tomorrow and Wednesday. The walkouts have been called by the RMT, which is in dispute with Transport for London’s contractor KeolisAmey Docklands over pay and conditions. Transport for London warned that the effect of the strikes could spill over into the morning of 9 November, and is advising its passengers to seek alternative routes on strike days. If any DLR services do run they are expected to start later and finish much earlier than usual. Grand Central Voyagers Open access operator Grand Central has introduced newly refurbished Class 221 ‘Super Voyager’ units on its West Riding route from Bradford Interchange to London King’s Cross. The 221s were originally ordered from Bombardier for Virgin Trains at the start of the century and were a tilting version of the Class 220 Voyagers, for use on the West Coast Main Line. Cornwall smartcards A pay-as-you-go smartcard is set to be launched in Cornwall on 15 November. The first stage of the scheme covers the west of the county, but it is due to be extended to lines in central and east Cornwall later on as part of Cornwall Council’s Mid Cornwall Metro scheme between Newquay and Falmouth, which has been approved as part of the government’s levelling-up programme. The west Cornwall scheme is only the second of its kind on GWR. Engineers’ examination An historic railway bridge which carries thousands of Tyne & Wear Metro services has been undergoing specialist inspections to prepare for a major track replacement scheme. Specially trained engineers donned harnesses and used ropes to scale the 24 metre structure and conduct a meticulous inspection of the wrought iron arches at Howdon viaduct in North Tyneside. Heart help The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced that all London Underground, Overground stations and Dial-a-Ride vehicles now have public access defibrillators, which can be used if a passenger suffers a cardiac arrest. Last year, the London Ambulance Service responded to around 13,000 calls following cardiac arrests, but immediate intervention is needed if lives are to be saved.

Services are being restored this morning on the East Coast Main Line after a section of overhead was damaged by a train pantograph near Peterborough last night. When a pantograph becomes tangled in the wires, a substantial section can be dragged down before the train can be stopped. All lines were blocked as a result of the incident, and Network Rail engineers have worked through the night to repair the damage. Although the equipment has been repaired there were warnings of possible disruption to early services today, because some trains and their crews could not return to their home depots and ended up in the wrong places from which to start today’s timetable. East Coast route director Paul Rutter said: ‘We’re sorry for the disruption that passengers have faced due to Thursday’s dewirement. Our teams have worked tirelessly since the incident to allow for trains to operate safely again. ‘There will be some residual delays while the railway gets back to normal, so we are asking people to check before they travel.’ Meanwhile, no down trains are calling at Market Harborough on the Midland Main Line today, after a section of land which was already being watched started to move, distorting the track. Network Rail said monitoring had revealed that the land ‘now needs more intrusive work to stabilise it’. Engineers have started remedial work which will include installing soil nails to reinforce the land. Trains travelling north between Kettering and Leicester are being diverted through Corby to allow specialist earthwork teams unrestricted access to the site at Braybrooke. Engineering work in connection with electrification had already been planned for the weekend, and so work can also continue tomorrow and on Sunday to stabilise the land without any additional disruption. Rail replacement buses are running from Market Harborough as far as Leicester, for passengers travelling north. Although southbound trains are continuing to call at Market Harborough, some are being delayed or cancelled.

National Rail operators are warning of delays and cancellations to trains in England and Wales as a result of Storm Ciarán, which tracked across southern England overnight and is now affecting towns in north west France. Network Rail has despatched emergency teams to repair damage in many places. GWR has warned that there will be no trains between St Austell and Penzance today, nor on any of the Cornish branch lines. The Looe Valley line is flooded, and there are also no trains to Gunnislake, Newquay, Falmouth Docks or St Ives. Replacement bus services may not run, and GWR is advising its passengers not to try to travel west of Plymouth. In Devon, the main line is closed between Taunton and Exeter St David’s, affecting GWR and CrossCountry services, while the line is also closed between Reading and Gatwick Airport. Fallen trees and landslips are blocking railways in Kent and Sussex, while a trampoline was blown on to the line at Hastings. Govia Thameslink Railway has advised its passengers south of London that if they plan to travel today, they ‘should strongly consider’ whether their journeys are necessary, and should work from home if they can. South Western Railway routes have also been affected by the storm, with disruptions reported between Fareham and Swanwick, Horsley and Effingham Junction, Ash and Wanborough, Salisbury and Southampton Central, Guildford and Havant, and between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst. LNER is ‘strongly advising’ its passengers to avoid travelling today or tomorrow. Some LNER trains will be running, but ‘major disruption’ is likely, including severe delays, short notice cancellations and overcrowding.  Greater Anglia services are disrupted between Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Transport for Wales is warning that there are no trains on the Heart of Wales line, nor on the Conwy Valley branch, while a fallen tree is blocking the line between Quakers Yard and Abercynon. Some services on other routes in Wales may also be cancelled. Speed restrictions are affecting Northern trains between Newcastle and Carlisle. Network Rail route director Marcus Jones said: ‘We’ve brought in additional teams and contractors. If you live near the railway, please do remember that garden objects can end up on the tracks at any time if they’re not secured, but particularly when we see the strong winds that are predicted for the remainder of the week.’

The Railway Industry Association conference opens in London today, and a new poll has been published which suggests that most railway suppliers are pessimistic about their prospects for 2024. RIA says only 24 per cent of the companies which responded believe the rail supply industry will grow in the coming year, with 54 per cent saying it will contract. RIA points out that this is the highest negative rating over the past five years. Even so, 48 per cent think their own businesses will grow, but 28 per cent are expecting their turnover to contract. More than four out of five (83 per cent), think there will be a pause in rail supply contracts during the coming year, because of uncertainty over major projects or the continuing delay in setting up Great British Railways and the reforms that are due to follow. RIA said: ‘These findings represent a significant increase in negative sentiment among businesses across the sector over the last 12 months.’ Recruitment will be reduced or frozen at 44 per cent of companies, compared with 26 per cent in 2022, while 42 per cent will concentrate on the export market and 35 per cent will pause or ease back on plans to expand in the UK. A further negative figure is the 87 per cent of rail supply chain companies who do not believe that the government will achieve its decarbonisation targets of removing all diesel-only trains by 2040 and achieving a fully Net Zero railway by 2050. RIA chief executive Darren Caplan said: ‘The survey’s conclusions are deeply concerning. They show rail business leaders in the UK anticipating a contraction in the rail market at a time when Unife, the European trade association, is predicting 3 per cent rail market growth every year around the world. ‘The findings show the lowest levels of confidence among senior leaders on the growth outlook for their businesses over the next five years since 2019. Over 80 per cent forecast a hiatus in work in the year ahead, as the government has still not set out clear steps on rail reform or firm commitments and timescales for delivering major projects. This adversely impacts recruitment, expansion plans and suppliers, who will seek overseas markets where the prospects are considered better. ‘With many rail business leaders still reeling from the news that HS2 Phase 2 between Birmingham and Manchester has been cancelled, the findings from this survey support the need for more certainty from the government on what national, regional and local rail work – both track and train – it wants the railway industry to deliver in the months ahead.’

The Government has climbed down over plans to close station ticket offices in England, after the transport watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch said they would not be recommending any closures. ► Consultation revealed ‘powerful and passionate concerns’ ► Government says proposals did not ‘meet high thresholds’  ► RMT union hails ‘resounding victory’ for its campaign The watchdogs’ announcements today have followed an extended consultation which had attracted 750,000 responses, many of which ’contained powerful and passionate concerns about the potential changes‘, according to Transport Focus. The Government had wanted to see more 900 offices closed to reduce railway costs, but transport secretary Mark Harper said: ‘We have engaged with accessibility groups throughout this process and listened carefully to passengers as well as my colleagues in Parliament. The proposals that have resulted from this process do not meet the high thresholds set by Ministers, and so the Government has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals. ‘We will continue our work to reform our railways with the expansion of contactless Pay As You Go ticketing, making stations more accessible through our Access for All programme and £350 million funding through our Network North plan to improve accessibility at up to 100 stations.’ Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said: ‘Significant amendments and changes have been secured by the watchdog – for example, reverting to existing times when staff will be on hand at many stations. Some train companies were closer than others in meeting our criteria. ‘However, serious overall concerns remain about how potentially useful innovations, such as “welcome points” would work in practice. We also have questions about how the impact of these changes would be measured and how future consultation on staffing levels will work. ‘Some train companies were unable to convince us about their ability to sell a full range of tickets, handle cash payments and avoid excessive queues at ticket machines. ’Passengers must be confident they can get help when needed and buy the right ticket in time for the right train.’ However, he added: ‘Transport Focus is supportive of the principle of redeploying staff from ticket offices to improve the overall offer to the passenger. We also recognise the extreme financial pressure facing the railways and the need to find new, cost-effective ways of working. We will continue to work with the train companies to help them resolve the issues raised by passengers during this process.’ Some industry sources are claiming that operators were privately irritated by having to make the closure proposals at all, but as government contractors they would have had little choice. Rail Delivery Group chief executive Jacqueline Starr said: ‘Train companies committed to a genuine consultation, and worked closely with passenger bodies to build and improve on the original plans. We thank everybody who participated and for helping to make our proposals better and welcome the recognition by Transport Focus that the principle of moving staff to where they can better help passengers, is the right one. ‘These proposals were about adapting the railway to the changing needs of customers in the smartphone era, balanced against the significant financial challenge faced by the industry as it recovers from the pandemic. At a time when the use of ticket offices is irreversibly declining, we also want to give our people more enriching and rewarding careers geared towards giving passengers more visible face-to-face support. While these plans won’t now be taken forward, we will continue to look at other ways to improve passenger experience while delivering value for the taxpayer. Our priority remains to secure a vibrant long-term future for the industry and all those who work in it.’ The RMT, meanwhile, had feared that thousands of jobs could be lost. General secretary Mick Lynch said it was a ‘resounding victory for the union’s campaign and a win for passengers, community groups and rail workers alike’. He continued: ‘We are now calling for an urgent summit with the government, train operating companies, disabled and community organisations and passenger groups to agree a different route for the rail network that guarantees the future of our ticket offices and stations staff jobs to delivers a safe, secure and accessible service that puts passengers before profit.’