Heidi Alexander used her speech for the Department for Transport Operator’s conference in Manchester on 20 January to outline her priorities for Shadow Great British Railways (“SGBR”).

The priorities, reported in the Railway Gazette and The i Paper, are:  

• Integration: between operators and Network Rail, simplifying management and increasing accountability;
• Performance: aligning performance measures across the industry;
• Fares Reform: progressing best price guarantees, expanding pay as you go (“PAYG”) and finding ‘new ways to drive up revenue’;
• Innovation: partnering with innovators, particularly around AI, to improve the passenger experience; and 
• Driving positive change: to be a ‘force of positive change beyond the tracks’. 

We can expect to hear more on these issues in the consultation on the Rail Reform Bill, which is expected to be published shortly. This follows quickly on from the passing of the Passenger Railway (Public Ownership) Act 2024, which became law on 29 November 2024, and provides for the nationalisation of rail operators. 

There is the potential for significant synergy between the government’s rail reform and devolution agenda. Will we see the development of new multi-modal PAYG zones born out of collaboration between Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities and GBR? Will passengers be able to ‘tap in’ to a new range of fares? How will these fares serve to simplify the complexity of the system whilst also innovating to drive revenue growth? 

We look forward to partnering with clients in the sector to work through these questions and implement these priorities so that we can improve passenger experience and decarbonise our transport system. 

Burges Salmon offers specialist, expert advice on all aspects of the rail sector and firm has played a leading role in the rail industry for over 20 years. 

If you would like to discuss any of the content covered in this article, please contact me, Chris Simms or Sam Charkham.