GBR legislation deferred…

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From a usually reliable source.

GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) legislation deferred…

Interesting!

[ChrisB]

Yes, well known - the fortnight's royal mourning removed the opportunity to publish & and put the Bill to the Commons. There is now no sapace in the Commons diary to do this in this parliamentary year.

[grahame]

From a usually reliable source.

GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) legislation deferred…

Interesting!

Confirmation to hand and I will move from "The Rumour Mill" to public.

26th September 2022
NEWS
The legislation within the Government’s Transport Bill which will enact the implementation of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail and formally create the new Great British Railways organisation has been deferred, Modern Railways understands.

According to a document issued by the Great British Railways Transition Team, seen by Modern Railways, the reason for the deferral is that the Government is prioritising emergency legislation in response to the cost of living and energy price situation. The document adds that further details on the timing of the planned legislation on rail reform and the Future of Transport ‘will need to be confirmed in light of this’, and legislation will be taken forward when Parliamentary time allows.

Modern Railways understands the Transport Bill may proceed, but without the rail reform elements, as there are other aspects of the Bill which may remain a Government priority. The Bill was announced in the Queen’s Speech which opened the current Parliament on 10 May, and a consultation on the proposed legislation ran from 9 June to 4 August. However, unfolding events and the appointment of a new Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Transport and Rail Minister have changed Government priorities.

A Department for Transport spokesperson told Modern Railways the Parliamentary timetable was still to be confirmed. In an interview with Modern Railways in May, former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps had emphasised the importance of the legislation being passed in the current Parliamentary session if GBR was to acquire if powers in 2024 as planned.

and

Mark Hopwood commented on LinkedIn - it’s hardly a surprise. The Treasury never liked the reforms anyway, the final version was heavily influenced by Boris’s Transport advisor Andrew Gilligan who has now gone, the report carries the name of a sacked SoS and relations between DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) and GBRTT are not great. So all the ingredients are there for a delay.

[Electric train]

The Rail Industry will continue with the GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) transition team because unless the Government decide to stick to the flawed franchising and tender out all of the management contracts that are in place something needs to be done

[JayMac]

So, more years of uncertainty in the industry. Most likely kicked into touch until after the next General Election. When the incoming (likely) Labour government will probably change the plan again.

[Bmblbzzz]

Yes. Though as Electric Train says, something has to happen anyway, even if the something is a decision to carry on with franchising. (And however long it takes, they still won't have opened Portishead)

[stuving]

Yes. Though as Electric Train says, something has to happen anyway, even if the something is a decision to carry on with franchising. (And however long it takes, they still won't have opened Portishead)

The only franchise in the pre-Covid sense apears to be East Midlands', and that runs to 2027 at least. Cross Country's is titled "direct award franchise agreement", but it's more like a prototype National Rail Contract after which they decided to change the name. It has a fixed end date of October 2023, and current practice would be to replace it with an NRC (as happened for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)). Everyone else has an NRC, with the earliest end date after defined extensions being 2025 for SWR^» (South Western Railway - about), C2C, and LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about).

So there's time for a bit more bumbling, and even a full-term general election.

[IndustryInsider]

This has been an open secret within the industry for 6+ months.  The whole Boris/Shapps thing is a handy diversion.

[Electric train]

This has been an open secret within the industry for 6+ months.  The whole Boris/Shapps thing is a handy diversion.

I agree, it has not had the pace that was seen when the Government were keen to privatise the industry, I suspect is dithering in the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about), especially the Treasury and as usual politicians that can never make their minds up

One of the Williams initial report findings was the time taken by the DfT on policy, franchise contract award etc.

The industry leaders from NR^» (Network Rail - home page) and the ToC will be pushing the Rail Minister for a decision although while industrial action is taking place the Minister may find it difficult to commit

[grahame]

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-63231725

A rail group has spoken of its fears that plans to restructure the operation of Britain's railways could be axed.

The Rail Forum, a national industry body based in Derby, said it feared government plans to overhaul the system with a new body, named Great British Railways (GBR^▸ (Great British Railways)) might not go ahead.

[Electric train]

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-63231725

A rail group has spoken of its fears that plans to restructure the operation of Britain's railways could be axed.

The Rail Forum, a national industry body based in Derby, said it feared government plans to overhaul the system with a new body, named Great British Railways (GBR^▸ (Great British Railways)) might not go ahead.

Its posible of course GBR could out survive the current PM

[ChrisB]

Blimey, that post aged quickly!

From THe Grauniad

Great British Railways plan to oversee rail network delayed
Transport secretary says scrapping of transport bill means plan will not go ahead in 2024

A plan to create a public sector body to oversee Britain’s ailing rail network has been delayed.

Great British Railways (GBR^▸ (Great British Railways)), which would take over from the infrastructure management company Network Rail and be responsible for handing out rail contracts, will not go ahead in 2024 owing to the scrapping of the transport bill.

The transport secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, told the Commons that the bill was being abolished because of the need to prioritise legislation to deal with the energy crisis.

She said a lighter version of the bill could be put forward looking at legislation around transport technologies such as e-scooters.

Asked about the transport bill by the transport select committee, Trevelyan said: “The challenges of things like the energy legislation we’ve got to bring in and various others has meant that we have lost the opportunity to have that in this third session. What we are continuing to pitch for will be what I would call a narrow bill around the future of transport technologies, the legislation around things like e-scooters.”

She added: “That bigger piece around rail transformation in particular, we will need to look at in the fourth session.”

The Department for Transport permanent secretary, Dame Bernadette Kelly, told the committee: “There are key elements of structural change and the establishment of GBR which require legislation including, for example, I think the formal transfer of franchising powers from the government – from the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) – to another entity.

“So there clearly are some things that we can’t fully do structurally without legislation and without those powers.”

Trevelyan said: “What we’re looking at, at the moment, is whether actually, across that whole piece, there are a number of parts that don’t actually require primary legislation, so how can we intelligently use the time we’ve got until we get into the second half of next year to actually start to implement those areas of transformation that we can.”

The DfT announced in July that Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster, Newcastle and York had been shortlisted to host the headquarters of GBR.

Andy Bagnall, the chief executive of the industry body Rail Partners, said: “It is disappointing the legislation to create GBR will be delayed, but we look forward to working with the secretary of state, rail minister and Great British Railways transition team’s leadership to progress reform in its absence.

“It is critical there is not a long hiatus and there are immediate steps that can be taken now, such as switching on revenue incentives in national rail contracts and feeding back to the market on passenger service contract development, which can accelerate growth and underpin a reinvigorated public-private partnership.”

With Truss gone & the likelihood now of an early election, read 'dead & buried'

[PhilWakely]

With Truss gone & the likelihood now of an early election, read 'dead & buried'

Not so fast!  There are reports that Boris may stand again and is being supported by his usual cabal (Dorries, Fabricant and co)

[Electric train]

With Truss gone & the likelihood now of an early election, read 'dead & buried'

Not so fast!  There are reports that Boris may stand again and is being supported by his usual cabal (Dorries, Fabricant and co)

Not so sure that is BoJo will runs again for PM he would get the support needed, also the media and Opposition focus would be targeted at him as a toxic brand and the Conservatives are a party of U-turns and indecision.

The GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) project inside the industry will not be dead there is still some changes that can be agreed between NR^» (Network Rail - home page), ToC, DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) and ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road, formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) and implemented that would improve the way the industry operates especially with current 'management contracts'

At some stage a Transport Bill will come before Parliament in the next few years so the industry will want to be ready

[bradshaw]

It might be worth viewing the recent Transport sub Committee meeting held earlier this week. The Rail element starts around 10 minutes in. Chris Loder features for some of it.

https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/7747fc01-0153-41f9-8c47-244cfa23d335