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Railways and Passenger Benefits Bill

Lifecycle: Implementation British Transport Police · Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee · Department for Transport · Network Rail · Office of Rail and Road · Regulatory Policy Committee · Transport Committee · Transport Focus Last regenerated 1 month, 3 weeks ago · 20 new events since

Summary

What this is

The Railways Bill 2024-26 is the Government's primary structural rail-reform vehicle, creating Great British Railways (GBR) as a publicly-owned 'directing mind' that brings track and train into a single entity, alongside a strengthened passenger watchdog, a new access regime on GBR's network, and statutory roles for devolved governments and mayoral authorities.

Why it matters

It is the most significant rewrite of the Railways Act 1993 architecture since privatisation: it ends the ORR's role as access decision-maker on the GBR network (replacing it with an appeals function), reshapes the periodic review funding cycle, gives the Secretary of State power to amend existing track access contracts retrospectively, and consolidates passenger-protection functions currently split across ORR, Transport Focus and the Rail Ombudsman.

Current status

Introduced as Bill 325 on 5 November 2025, the Bill completed Commons Public Bill Committee on 10 February 2026 (reprinted as Bill 373 as amended in Committee) and remains at Report stage with daily amendment papers running through April-May 2026; the Scottish Parliament agreed an LCM on 24 March 2026 and DfTO began absorbing operator staff from 1 April 2026.

What changed recently

  • 24 Apr 2026 — Government published its formal response to the Transport Committee's 8th Report on the Railways Bill (4th Special Report). →
  • 1 Apr 2026 — First TOC staff transfers into DfT Operator Ltd ahead of GBR designation, prompting written questions from MPs about sequencing relative to Bill passage. →
  • 25 Mar 2026 — DfT published the framework Memorandum of Understanding with Scottish Ministers and the full MoU with Welsh Ministers on applying the Bill in the devolved nations. →
  • 24 Mar 2026 — Scottish Parliament agreed a Legislative Consent Motion for the Railways Bill. →
  • 17 Mar 2026 — DfT announced Delay Repay reform and published the Government response to the ORR's independent review of train-operator revenue-protection practices. →

Key documents

Framework

Operationalising

  • Other
    View Original ↗

    Explanatory Notes (Bill 325 EN)

    DfT's clause-by-clause explanatory notes; sets out the policy intent for GBR as a 'directing mind', the periodic-review-replacement business-plan funding cycle, and the access-regime appeals architecture.

  • Other
    View Original ↗

    ECHR Memorandum

    Department's Convention-compatibility analysis flagging Article 6(1) (ORR's dual statutory roles in access appeals) and A1P1 (retrospective amendment of existing track access contracts under clause 71).

  • Other
    View Original ↗

    Delegated Powers Memorandum

    Memorandum to the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee setting out and justifying the Bill's delegated powers, including the designation power in clause 1 and the access-contract amendment power in clause 71.

  • Other
    View Original ↗

    DfT Impact Assessment

    Final-stage IA setting out the rationale: information/coordination failure, principal-agent issues, externalities and productive inefficiency in the post-privatisation structure; subsequently rated Green by the RPC.

  • Policy Paper
    View Original ↗

    Railways Bill equalities impact assessment

    DfT's analysis of how Bill measures affect protected characteristics — informs the disabled-passenger duties in clause 18 and the accessibility roadmap commitments.

  • Policy Paper
    View Original ↗

    Railways Bill landing page (gov.uk)

    DfT's published collection of factsheets, IAs and supporting documents to accompany the Bill's introduction.

Implementation

Scrutiny

Evidence

Consultations

Stakeholders

Grouped by role with evidence. Long groups scroll inside their column.

Sponsoring department 1

  • Department for Transport → src
    Sponsoring department; published the Bill, all factsheets, the IA, the EIA, the ECHR Memorandum, the Delegated Powers Memorandum and both devolved MoUs.

Sponsoring minister 4

  • Heidi Alexander → src
    Secretary of State for Transport and Bill sponsor; made the s.19(1)(a) HRA statement, signed the HS2 reset WMS of 23 March 2026 (HCWS1433) and answers oral and written questions on the Bill.
  • Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill → src
    Minister of State for Transport (Lords); signed Lords WMSs on Rail Infrastructure (HLWS1438, 23 March 2026), accessibility (HLWS1241, 15 January 2026) and the Integrated National Transport Strategy.
  • Keir Mather → src
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport leading for the Government in Public Bill Committee across all 14 sittings.
  • Lilian Greenwood → src
    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport; opened for the Government at the First Sitting (20 January 2026) and addressed train-driver licensing matters.

Shadow minister 3

  • Edward Argar → src
    Conservative, Melton and Syston; lead Opposition spokesperson in Public Bill Committee with 26 touchpoints across the 14 sittings.
  • Jerome Mayhew → src
    Conservative, Broadland and Fakenham; Opposition committee member, 26 touchpoints across PBC sittings including detailed engagement on the access regime.
  • Olly Glover → src
    Liberal Democrat, Didcot and Wantage; lead Lib Dem spokesperson in PBC with 30 touchpoints — engaged on fares, accessibility and devolution.

Lead committee 3

  • Transport Select Committee → src
    Published the 8th Report on the Railways Bill (HC 1472) as the principal scrutiny output; the Government issued its 4th Special Report response on 24 April 2026.
  • Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee → src
    Recipient of the DfT Delegated Powers Memorandum addressing the designation power, access-contract amendment power and other delegated regulation-making powers.
  • Regulatory Policy Committee → src
    Issued a Green opinion on the DfT Impact Assessment on 6 November 2025; also submitted written evidence to PBC (RB04).

Witnesses & evidence-givers 12

  • Office of Rail and Road → src
    Submitted written evidence RB08; named as appeals body for GBR access decisions and as approver of standards under the Passengers' Council framework.
  • Transport Focus → src
    Submitted written evidence RB14; statutory predecessor of the strengthened Passengers' Council under Part 2, Chapter 2 of the Bill.
  • RMT (National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) → src
    Submitted written evidence RB07; focal stakeholder on worker pensions, collective bargaining and the staff-transfer mechanism.
  • ASLEF (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen) → src
    Submitted written evidence RB23; engaged on train-driver licensing reforms and workforce protection.
  • Rail Freight Group → src
    Submitted written evidence RB06; key voice on the statutory freight target and capacity allocation on a GBR-controlled network.
  • Railway Industry Association → src
    Submitted written evidence RB05; supply-chain perspective on GBR procurement and innovation.
  • ALLRAIL (Alliance of Passenger Rail New Entrants) → src
    Submitted written evidence RB16 and supplementary RB16A; represents open-access operators concerned by GBR's dual role as access-decision-maker and competitor.
  • Lumo and Hull Trains → src
    Joint open-access submission RB28; directly affected by clause 71 powers over existing track access contracts.
  • Trainline → src
    Submitted written evidence RB17; commercial retailer engaged on the GBR ticketing-website model and the proposed retail code of practice.
  • Independent Rail Retailers → src
    Written evidence RB13 — third-party retail-market interests.
  • Andy Burnham (Mayor of Greater Manchester) → src
    Submitted letter and supplementary evidence (RB18, RB18A) pressing for stronger statutory roles for mayoral combined authorities in network and timetable decisions.
  • Urban Transport Group → src
    Written evidence RB12 on multi-modal integration and local-authority interface.

Regulator / delivery programme 2

  • British Transport Police → src
    Subject of correspondence on Chair appointment (27 January 2026) and adjacent provisions in the Crime and Policing Act 2026.
  • DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO) → src
    Consolidation vehicle for in-house TOCs ahead of GBR designation; Laura Shoaf and Tony Poulter joined the board in March 2026, Alex Hynes appointed CEO in November 2025.

Commentator 12

  • Laurence Turner → src
    Labour, Birmingham Northfield; Government backbencher with 24 PBC touchpoints engaging in detail on staff transfer and devolution clauses.
  • Rebecca Smith → src
    Conservative, South West Devon; 24 PBC touchpoints, focus on rural and South-West passenger impacts.
  • Joe Robertson → src
    Conservative, Isle of Wight East; 22 PBC touchpoints; engaged on island and devolved/local-authority service issues.
  • Edward Morello → src
    Liberal Democrat, West Dorset; 20 PBC touchpoints on the access regime and rural connectivity.
  • Daniel Francis → src
    Labour, Bexleyheath and Crayford; 18 PBC touchpoints with particular focus on accessibility.
  • Jayne Kirkham → src
    Labour (Co-op), Truro and Falmouth; PBC member focused on south-west cross-border services.
  • Baggy Shanker → src
    Labour (Co-op), Derby South; PBC member engaged on rail manufacturing and the East Midlands rolling-stock supply chain.
  • Andrew Ranger → src
    Labour, Wrexham; PBC member focused on Wales-and-Borders cross-border services and the Wrexham-Shropshire-Midlands proposal.
  • Sarah Smith → src
    Labour, Hyndburn; PBC member, focus on accessibility and Lancashire stopping services.
  • Adam Dance → src
    Liberal Democrat, Yeovil; spoke at Second Reading on rural service implications.
  • Lloyd Hatton → src
    Labour, South Dorset; spoke at Second Reading and during early PBC sittings.
  • Mark Harper → src
    Conservative; as Secretary of State for Transport published the Draft Rail Reform Bill in February 2024 — predecessor text and policy frame the present Bill builds on.

Political commitments

What parties and ministers have promised — manifesto pledges, King's Speech announcements, ministerial statements. Each card shows what was said, by whom, and when, with a link to the original source.

  • commitment Manifesto pledge Labour · 2024 · Railways Bill — Impact Assessments: Impact Assessment from the Department for T…

    Reform the railways and bring them into public ownership

    Why linked: The 2024 Labour manifesto commitment is the foundational political driver; the IA explicitly states the Bill 'delivers on the government's commitment to create a unified and simplified rail sector'.

    Source: Railways Bill — Impact Assessments: Impact Assessment from the Department for Transport · Original ↗
  • commitment Manifesto pledge Labour · 2024 · Railways Bill — Human Rights Memorandum

    Establish a new passenger watchdog

    Why linked: The Bill's Part 2 Chapter 2 (the Passengers' Council) implements this manifesto commitment by consolidating consumer functions from ORR, Transport Focus and the Rail Ombudsman.

    Source: Railways Bill — Human Rights Memorandum · Original ↗
  • commitment King's Speech announcement Labour · 2026 · The King's Speech 2026 – Background Briefing Notes (PDF)

    Railways and Passenger Benefits Bill

    Why linked: The King's Speech 2026 dedicated section on the Railways and Passenger Benefits Bill positions structural reform plus passenger-rights reform as a single legislative package.

    Source: The King's Speech 2026 – Background Briefing Notes (PDF) · Original ↗
  • commitment Ministerial statement Conservative · 2024 · Ministers set out blueprint for future of the railways through draft Rail Refor…

    Bringing track and train together under a new Great British Railways

    Draft bill sets out blueprint for bringing track and train together under a new Great British Railways, leveraging private sector innovation

    Why linked: Predecessor commitment carried forward — the previous administration's February 2024 Draft Rail Reform Bill identified track-and-train integration as the structural target.

    Source: Ministers set out blueprint for future of the railways through draft Rail Reform Bill · Original ↗

Open questions & gaps

Known gaps in the evidence base and what's still pending.

Pending in the lifecycle

  • Commons Report and Third Reading following the run of daily amendment papers through April-May 2026.
  • Lords stages, including likely scrutiny of clause 71 (retrospective amendment of access contracts) on A1P1 grounds.
  • Welsh Senedd LCM (Scottish LCM already secured; Welsh equivalent not yet recorded in events).
  • Royal Assent expected within the 2024-26 session; commencement regulations for designation of the GBR body corporate under clause 1.

Beyond the corpus

  • MISSING Government Response to Transport Committee on freight target and access-regime competition concerns — published 24 April 2026 but text not in body corpus — The 4th Special Report is listed but the substantive Government position on freight competition pressure is the practitioner-readable artefact and not all of it has been captured in the inline document bodies.
  • MISSING Welsh Senedd Legislative Consent Motion text — The Welsh MoU is published (57059) and the Scottish LCM is agreed (28603); a Welsh equivalent LCM would be expected before Royal Assent given the Bill bears on Wales-and-Borders services and the Core Valley Lines.
  • MISSING Draft regulations under clause 1 designating GBR — The Bill is enabling — until the designation SI is laid, the body corporate is not yet GBR; the SI is the operational trigger and is not yet in the corpus.
  • MISSING Draft Long-Term Rail Strategy under clause 15 — Clause 15 requires the Secretary of State to prepare and publish a long-term rail strategy; no draft is yet visible.

Confidence gaps

  • Whether the daily amendment papers from late February to late April 2026 represent Report-stage marshalling or further Committee revisits is not unambiguously visible from titles alone.
  • The interplay between DfTO's operational consolidation from 1 April 2026 and the statutory designation of GBR under clause 1 — i.e. how long DfTO remains the operating vehicle before GBR is designated.