Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail / Great British Railways

[whole diary]

[Bmblbzzz]

Ah, yeah... I'd even watched the video when Grahame posted it. 

[johnneyw]

From Christian Wolmar

The Great British Railway is a fudge riding for a fail

We all knew it was a mistake and we told them so. When the Tory government pushed through the privatisation of the railways a quarter of a century ago, it involved splitting up British Rail into more than 100 companies. At the time, everyone, from Tory backbenchers and the Labour party to British Rail managers, warned that it was a reckless plan that would cost money and do nothing to improve the railways.

[snip]

Now the very same political party that broke up British Rail because it was supposedly inefficient, hidebound by tradition and unaccountable, wants to stick Humpty Dumpty back together again.

[snip]

Despite all this, ideology still stops us getting the sensible railway passengers deserve. Instead of simply running the trains themselves, Great British Railways will contract out services to private companies, most of which are actually owned by foreign state railways such as the French SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) and the German Deutsche Bahn. This will add cost and complexity. At the last election, Labour suggested simply renationalising the whole system. This is three-quarters of the way there, but it would have been better to go the whole hog.

[snip]

It must have been something of a bitter pill for the present government to swallow to admit the failure of a venture based on a key aspect of their party's ideology.  Small wonder perhaps that they may be trying to salvage what elements that they can as a face saving exercise.
It may well turn out that even what remains may wither away further over the next few months as the true purpose, usefulness and viability of the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s role is subject to further examination in the real world.

[onthecushions]

I don't understand the theological passion for nationalisation. It doesn't mean public ownership or participation or even ministerial oversight; it means micromanagement by an Oxbridge arts graduate civil service, specifically the Treasury. This results in ironing board seats, prejudice against electrification, poor investment decisions, bias against the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) regions, demoralisation of the workforce, purchase of foreign capital goods to destroy UK manufacturing, etc etc.

The best we could get IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion), is a "proper" railway, owned by and accountable to the state but self managed with strong leadership, by a "General Manager" out of the mould of Pole, Aspinall, Walker etc. The Williams -Shh Report at least brings us nearer that.

OTC

[bradshaw]

Transport Select Committee tomorrow at 09.30 on parliament.tv

Subject: Williams-Shapps plan for rail

09.30 Witness(es): Nigel Harris, Managing Editor, Rail (magazine)

10.00 Witness(es): Sir Peter Hendy, Chair, Network Rail; Andy Bagnall, Director General, Rail Delivery Group

10.45 Witness(es): Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP^▸ (Member of Parliament), Secretary of State, Department for Transport; Keith Williams, Chair, Williams Rail Review; Conrad Bailey, Director General for Rail Strategy and Services, Department for Transport

[johnneyw]

Transport Select Committee tomorrow at 09.30 on parliament.tv

Subject: Williams-Shapps plan for rail

09.30 Witness(es): Nigel Harris, Managing Editor, Rail (magazine)

10.00 Witness(es): Sir Peter Hendy, Chair, Network Rail; Andy Bagnall, Director General, Rail Delivery Group

10.45 Witness(es): Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP^▸ (Member of Parliament), Secretary of State, Department for Transport; Keith Williams, Chair, Williams Rail Review; Conrad Bailey, Director General for Rail Strategy and Services, Department for Transport

Thank you for that, I shall have a cup of coffee at the ready for 09.30.  ☕

[ChrisB]

Direct link here https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/9783fe54-3b04-40d4-b74c-32b0349dd43e

[grahame]

Transport Select Committee tomorrow at 09.30 on parliament.tv

Subject: Williams-Shapps plan for rail

09.30 Witness(es): Nigel Harris, Managing Editor, Rail (magazine)

10.00 Witness(es): Sir Peter Hendy, Chair, Network Rail; Andy Bagnall, Director General, Rail Delivery Group

10.45 Witness(es): Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP^▸ (Member of Parliament), Secretary of State, Department for Transport; Keith Williams, Chair, Williams Rail Review; Conrad Bailey, Director General for Rail Strategy and Services, Department for Transport

Some of the headlines look back rather than forward.

From the Independent

The disastrous project to electrify the Great Western railway lines to South Wales and the West of England has been condemned by the chair of Network Rail.

The scheme was delivered late, £2bn over budget and incomplete.

And in response to what Grant Shapps said, from the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)

RAIL UNION RMT slammed the Secretary of State Grant Shapps today after he used an appearance at the Transport Select Committee to put his full backing behind the pandemic profiteers while dismissing concerns about the plight of rail staff with ‘insulting and ill-informed bragging’ about his role in saving jobs.

[Red Squirrel]

I attended the RAIL webinar on this yesterday. Hendy, Schute, Bagnall and Williams were all very positive about the plan.

If you have an hour-and-a-bit to spare, you can watch a recording here: https://www.bigmarker.com/bauer-media/RAIL-webinar?bmid=bc970b7cfab8

[ChrisB]

I attended also - don't expect any answers to big questions though - apart from the flexi season tickets - all procedures (like who specifies/acquires/owns new rolling stock!) are still to be thrashed out.

[Red Squirrel]

I attended also - don't expect any answers to big questions though - apart from the flexi season tickets - all procedures (like who specifies/acquires/owns new rolling stock!) are still to be thrashed out.

Yes - as Nigel Harris keeps saying, the devil is in the detail...

Worth watching the Select Committee meeting ChrisB linked to as well!

[grahame]

View and detailed analysis from Railfuture:

On 20 May 2021, the government published the results of the long awaited Williams Rail Review in the form of a White Paper in preparation for legislation on the government's plan to transform the railways in Great Britain. It is now entitled the William-Shapps plan for rail.

It is not a consultation document, it is what the government are planning to do, requiring legislation. This briefing is not a consultation response either. It is designed to summarise and describe what is being proposed with a commentary.

Railfuture is in a good position to provide this for members and stakeholders, being non-political and not representing any individual interest, other than the well-being and development of our railways, including the people who use and work on our railways.

Our objective is that Railfuture members are engaged and informed on these changes and equipped to enter into informed dialogue on them, irrespective of individual politics.

Feedback from members, branches and stakeholders will be welcomed as the industry moves towards implementation and we see greater clarity on individual aspirations in the White Paper.

l-o-n-g article snipped

Conclusion, Delivering the revolution.

The paper proposes an Advisory Group to support the Secretary of State, as one would expect, even if it is of little consequence other than for information. Much more significant is the proposal to ask Andrew Haines, Chief Executive of Network Rail, to bring this together and establish interim arrangements, and set up Great British Railways.

This is a revolution for sure, even if the review did not start off as a revolution.

The stated desired outcomes are excellent. The actual outcomes however could well range from a fantastic way forward for our rail system to a dismal monolithic failure. The plan will have its detractors, particularly those who will lose money if the plan to implement efficiency and reduce complexity succeeds.

It certainly deserves a chance.

Above anything else, success will depend on capable leadership. Appointing Andrew Haines to lead the process alongside Sir Peter Hendy as Chair of Network Rail, the key player, is a very good omen.

[Lee]

View and detailed analysis from Railfuture:

On 20 May 2021, the government published the results of the long awaited Williams Rail Review in the form of a White Paper in preparation for legislation on the government's plan to transform the railways in Great Britain. It is now entitled the William-Shapps plan for rail.

It is not a consultation document, it is what the government are planning to do, requiring legislation. This briefing is not a consultation response either. It is designed to summarise and describe what is being proposed with a commentary.

Railfuture is in a good position to provide this for members and stakeholders, being non-political and not representing any individual interest, other than the well-being and development of our railways, including the people who use and work on our railways.

Our objective is that Railfuture members are engaged and informed on these changes and equipped to enter into informed dialogue on them, irrespective of individual politics.

Feedback from members, branches and stakeholders will be welcomed as the industry moves towards implementation and we see greater clarity on individual aspirations in the White Paper.

l-o-n-g article snipped

Conclusion, Delivering the revolution.

The paper proposes an Advisory Group to support the Secretary of State, as one would expect, even if it is of little consequence other than for information. Much more significant is the proposal to ask Andrew Haines, Chief Executive of Network Rail, to bring this together and establish interim arrangements, and set up Great British Railways.

This is a revolution for sure, even if the review did not start off as a revolution.

The stated desired outcomes are excellent. The actual outcomes however could well range from a fantastic way forward for our rail system to a dismal monolithic failure. The plan will have its detractors, particularly those who will lose money if the plan to implement efficiency and reduce complexity succeeds.

It certainly deserves a chance.

Above anything else, success will depend on capable leadership. Appointing Andrew Haines to lead the process alongside Sir Peter Hendy as Chair of Network Rail, the key player, is a very good omen.

I'm a detractor, and i dont stand to lose any money at all!

[onthecushions]

I'm a detractor, and i dont stand to lose any money at all!

I imagine that we could all lose money (and possibly many of our precious passenger train services) if it fails.

Unless we live outside the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), that is!
 
OTC

[Lee]

I'm a detractor, and i dont stand to lose any money at all!

I imagine that we could all lose money (and possibly many of our precious passenger train services) if it fails.

Unless we live outside the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), that is!
 
OTC

Very true - Although to be fair, I do work in a public transport system that implemented their version of Bus Back Better some years ago, and has its rail services partly specified by the people that use them, as opposed to gambling on a system that puts them in the hands of people who dont listen to the people that use them!

[Electric train]

I attended the RAIL webinar on this yesterday. Hendy, Schute, Bagnall and Williams were all very positive about the plan.

If you have an hour-and-a-bit to spare, you can watch a recording here: https://www.bigmarker.com/bauer-media/RAIL-webinar?bmid=bc970b7cfab8

And in 1994 so where John Major MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) and John MacGregor MP very positive about their plan for the Railways