Found: access arrangements may be revisited unpredictably, as has been proposed via the Government’s Railways Bill

Found: We were referred to the King ’s Cross Railways Bill, where the Camden Cycling Campaign, which had just

Found: We were referred to the Kings Cross Railways Bill, where the Camden Cycling Campaign, which had just

Found: Port Authority Bill, which was at page 81 of the locus standi materials, and the King ’s Cross Railways Bill

Found: Martijn, we have been quite critical of the Railways Bill for how people with disabilities are represented

Found: The government has also introduced a new Railways Bill to establish Great British Railways as the sector

Found: The Railways Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, is a cornerstone of the government’s Plan

Found: 8th Report - Railways Bill HC 1472 Report

Found: The Department has said that the Railways Bill, introduced in November 2025, will update and renew the

Found: recently in relation to questions about the Government’s plans for the timetabling and scope of the Railways Bill

Found: The recently introduced Railways Bill includes a clause to allow the future infrastructure manager,

Found: The Bus Services Bill and the Railways Bill are giving all these local authorities more powers, but they

Found: The Bus Services Bill and the Railways Bill are giving all these local authorities more powers, but

Found: Letter from the Minister for Rail, Department for Transport relating to the Railways Bill, dated 21 January

Found: June 2025, p 5 36 Bus Services Act 2025; Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024; Railways Bill

Found: of the Camden Cycling Campaign, whose application to be heard was refused in the Kings Cross Railways Bill

Found: of the Camden Cycling Campaign, whose application to be heard was refused in the Kings Cross Railways Bill

Found: of the Camden Cycling Campaign, whose application to be heard was refused in the Kings Cross Railways Bill

Found: of the Camden Cycling Campaign whose application to be h eard was refused in the King’s Cross Railways Bill

Found: That is the settled intent of the Government’s Railways Bill programme, as set out in A railway fit

Found: In parallel with the passage of the Railways Bill, which will lay the legal framework for GBR, Lord

Found: It is on the King’s Cross Railways Bill.

Found: It is on the King’s Cross Railways Bill.

Found: It is on the King’s Cross Railways Bill.

Found: RWB0077 - Railways Bill West Midlands Rail Executive Written Evidence

Found: organisation, we have also included within your authorities bundle reports from the King’s Cross Railways Bill

Found: organisation, we have also included within your authorities bundle reports from the King’s Cross Railways Bill

Found: organisation, we have also included within your authorities bundle reports from the King’s Cross Railways Bill

Found: organisation, we have also included within your authorities bundle reports from the King’s Cross Railways Bill

Found: The Government’s once-in-a-generation rail reform programme, through the introduction of the Railways Bill

Found: On the point around stability and certainty, we have welcomed the announcement in the Railways Bill

Found: The key remaining gap lies in the rail network, though the forthcoming Railways Bill should help to

Found: These barriers on the railway will be addressed under GBR and we await the upcoming Railways Bill to

Found: For example, the Department for Transport’s consultation on the new Railways Bill appears to have dropped

Found: We believe integration, the forthcoming Railways Bill, and the establishment of Great British Railways

Found: Transport Committee Oral evidence: Railways Bill, HC 1472 Wednesday 7 January 2026 Ordered by the House

Found: RWB0075 - Railways Bill SilverRail Technologies Written Evidence

Found: RWB0076 - Railways Bill Trainline Written Evidence

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department provides guidance to blind and partially sighted people who are unable to cycle or drive.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The government is committed to improving transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity, including for blind and partially sighted people. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure public transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. Through the Act, we are helping authorities to provide safer and more accessible bus stations and stops and mandating more streamlined disability training for bus drivers and frontline staff. We are also requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publication of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan.

We are equally committed to improving the experience for disabled passengers on rail services and that is why we published the Department’s roadmap to an accessible railway. It sets out what we are doing now to improve the day-to-day travelling experience for disabled passengers in the lead up to Great British Railways being established. The Railways Bill will also establish a Passenger Watchdog, protecting the rights of disabled passengers by monitoring service delivery, investigating persistent issues, and advocating for improvements. We are also continuing to install accessible routes at stations through our Access for All programme and have completed a programme to install platform edge safety tactiles on every platform in the country.

The government recognises that pavement parking is also an issue that resonates deeply with communities across the country. The impact is felt by many; particularly people living with sight-loss, mobility or sensory disabilities, older adults, parents with young children, and anyone who relies on safe, accessible pavements to move around independently.

We are taking forward a new, devolved approach to pavement parking, reflecting our commitment to decisions being made closer to the communities they affect. Local leaders understand their community best and are therefore in the strongest position to meet local needs effectively. The measures the government is taking forward support our commitment to improve transport users’ experience, ensuring that our roads and pavements are safe, reliable, and inclusive.

The Department also provides advice to taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England on the steps they can take to improve the accessibility of services. This recommends mandatory disability awareness training for drivers and sets out recommendations to make reporting of incidents of alleged discrimination straightforward, with authorities expected to investigate thoroughly and take effective action. It also recognises the specific challenges that visually impaired passengers may face when providing evidence of incidents and advises licensing authorities to accept appropriate audio or video evidence and, where relevant, seek information from operators and partner agencies. The guidance also encourages authorities to explore more accessible payment options, such as ‘talking’ meters or more accessible card readers.

Further, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently being considered by the House of Lords, seeks to provide a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations requirements that must be met for any taxi or private hire vehicle licence to be issued and held.

The provision of accessible transport services, including for blind and partially sighted people, also requires a strong impetus from transport providers. We would expect transport authorities and operators to play their part in delivering this service – by communicating with their passengers, including about the accessibility measures they provide to encourage use.

To build on this, we are committed to developing an Accessible Travel Charter. The Charter is a commitment to a shared vision for accessible travel. It will set out what disabled travellers can expect from their journeys, share best practice across organisations and create consistency in end-to-end journeys for disabled travellers.

The Department also provides other support to allow blind and partially sighted passengers to travel including through the blue badge scheme and concessionary travel on public transport.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the likely impact of public ownership on fare levels in the West Midlands over the next five years; whether fare-setting powers will change substantively under Great British Railways compared with the previous franchising model; what analysis has been undertaken of the relationship between ownership model and passenger satisfaction; and what steps she is taking to ensure that passengers in the West Midlands will not experience a reduction in service frequency or capacity as a result of asset reallocation decisions.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Passenger affordability is a top priority for this government when setting rail fares. That is why this year we have taken the historic step of freezing regulated rail fares for the first time in 30 years, putting money back in hard working people’s pockets and delivering savings for passengers across billions of journeys.

It is important that we strike the right balance between affordability for passengers and reducing the burden on taxpayers. As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation on the Railways Bill, future fares policy under Great British Railway (GBR) will be guided by strategic parameters and guardrails, set by the Secretary of State and aligned to GBR’s financial settlement, providing GBR with greater autonomy and flexibility compared to today. These will reassure passengers that their fares will remain affordable, while ensuring sustainable use of taxpayer money on the network.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what statutory role combined authorities will have under the Railways Bill in relation to service levels, timetabling and rolling stock deployment; what mechanisms will exist for regional leaders to challenge or appeal operational decisions made by Great British Railways; whether she expects the creation of a nationally managed rail body to increase central control over decisions previously taken at operator level; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of nationalisation on rail devolution in mayoral combined authority areas.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

GBR will be required to consult Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) where decisions on passenger services or rail infrastructure could have a significant impact on their areas. GBR will also have regard to the Local Transport Plans of MSAs to ensure local priorities are considered.

The Bill enables cooperation between GBR and MSAs, allowing for information sharing and the ability to enter into arrangements regarding railway functions. This will enable close partnership working, providing opportunities for MSAs to shape local services and integrate rail with other modes. In addition, the Bill establishes the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) as a robust and independent appeals body, providing a clear route for appeal of GBR’s access and charging decisions.

GBR will offer single-point local accountability for Mayors, with empowered local management as part of Business Units responsible for track and train. Local influence and control will need to be balanced with GBR taking decisions in the interest of the wider regional and national network.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what empirical evidence her Department relied upon in concluding that public ownership of train operations would improve punctuality and reliability; what modelling has been undertaken on the expected impact of public ownership on cancellation rates and passenger satisfaction over the next five years; what international comparators were used in developing the Government’s policy; and what measurable performance targets have been set for Great British Railways during its first three years of operation.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Great British Railways (GBR) will be a directing mind for Britain’s railway. The Impact Assessments for the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill and the Railways Bill set out the rationale for reform. We continue to look at international best practice and work with industry on targets.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that national transport policy is aligned with the priorities of local transport plans.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local Transport Plans are important strategic policy documents produced by local transport authorities. The Department for Transport maintains regular, and close, contact with all local transport authorities, ensuring that national programmes and policies support local priorities where possible.

In recognition of the importance of Local Transport Plans, under the Railways Bill, Great British Railways will have a duty to have regard to Local Transport Plans produced by Mayoral Strategic Authorities to ensure local priorities are considered.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve transport accessibility for disabled people.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The government is committed to improving public transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. Through the Act, we are helping authorities to provide safer and more accessible bus stations and stops; mandating more streamlined disability training for bus drivers and frontline staff and requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan.

We are committed to improving the experience for disabled passengers on rail services and that is why we published the Department’s roadmap to an accessible railway. It sets out what we are doing now to improve the day-to-day travelling experience for disabled passengers in the lead up to Great British Railways being established. The Railways Bill will also establish a Passenger Watchdog, protecting the rights of disabled passengers by monitoring service delivery, investigating persistent issues, and advocating for improvements. We are also continuing to install accessible routes at stations through our Access for All programme and have completed a programme to install platform edge safety tactiles on every platform in the country.

We are also committed to developing an Accessible Travel Charter. The Charter is a commitment to a shared vision for accessible travel. It will set out what disabled travellers can expect from their journeys, share best practice across organisations and create consistency in end-to-end journeys for disabled travellers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what policy objectives they have set for Great British Railways, and in what order of priority these objectives have been ranked.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Clause 3 of the Railway’s Bill sets out the statutory functions of GBR – what we expect it to do, and Clause 18 its general duties – what we expect it to consider when it is delivering on its functions. Taken together, the functions and duties already set out GBR’s fundamental purpose.

Further, the Railways Bill requires the Secretary of State for Transport to issue the Long-Term Rail Strategy (LTRS), which is the first strategy of its kind. It will set out strategic objectives for the railway over a 30-year period.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her oral contribution of 9 December 2025 in the debate on the Railways Bill, Official Report, column 207, how the £150 million figure relates to the £663 million per year efficiency saving projected for 2028–29 in the Departmental Efficiency Plan.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The oral contribution on 9 December 2025 in the debate on the Railways Bill referred to savings from management and performance fees payable to private sector operators. These savings are factored into the Department's Spending Review settlement but are not included in the published Departmental Efficiency Plan.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what forms of corrective action the Office of Rail and Road will be able to require where it finds non-compliance with the rail retail Code of Practice, including whether it will be able to impose directions, behavioural remedies, or operational changes on Great British Railways.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The retail industry code of practice announced in the Government's response to the Railways Bill consultation will incorporate clear requirements for how Great British Railways (GBR) should interact with all market participants. The code of practice will be owned and managed by the Office of Rail and Road. GBR’s licence will require it to comply, with the Office of Rail and Road able to demand corrective action if it considers that GBR has not done so.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how the Railways Bill will ensure that access rights to the network are fair, transparent and enforceable, particularly where Great British Rail will both manage infrastructure and operate services.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The new access framework within the Railways Bill will ensure that GBR will determine the best use of the network capacity for all operators in accordance with its statutory duties. New legislation will include key safeguards for third party operators, ensuring that GBR’s decisions on network access are fair and transparent with a strong route of appeal to the ORR. GBR will be required to design and consult with industry on its access and use policy which will set out the processes and criteria on how it will take access and capacity allocation decisions, and on which the ORR will be a statutory consultee.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to ensure that Metro Mayors retain roles in heavy rail governance under the provisions of the Railways Bill.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Great British Railways (GBR) will work in partnership with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, underpinned by statutory roles outlined in the Railways Bill. The Railways Bill enables cooperation between GBR and Mayoral Strategic Authorities, allowing for information sharing and the ability to enter into arrangements regarding railway functions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government about restructuring funding of railways and train services that (1) operate in Wales, or (2) serve Wales.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The UK Government has held constructive discussions with the Welsh Government throughout the development of the UK Railways Bill, focusing on restructuring governance and funding arrangements for rail services in Wales and on cross‑border routes. This work includes jointly developing a Memorandum of Understanding to classify devolved responsibilities, funding structures, and shared objectives for the Wales and Borders rail network.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a railcard for adults over the age of 30 who rely on regular rail travel for work in (a) the north and (b) other areas of England; and whether her Department plans to amend existing railcard schemes to support working age passengers.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Adults aged over 30 may be eligible for a number of national and regional railcards. Train operating companies also offer a range of products, such as season tickets, which can be used to support better value regular travel to work.

The Government has no current plans to review existing concessionary discounts. However, the Railways Bill gives Great British Railways the flexibility to update and expand concessionary offers as passenger needs change.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she will take to assess passenger affordability when setting rail fares.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Passenger affordability is a top priority for this Government when setting rail fares. That is why this year we have taken the historic step of freezing regulated rail fares for the first time in 30 years, putting money back in hard working people’s pockets and delivering savings for passengers across billions of journeys.

It is important that we strike the right balance between affordability for passengers and reducing the burden on taxpayers. As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation on the Railways Bill, future fares policy under Great British Railways (GBR) will be guided by strategic parameters and guardrails, set by the Secretary of State and aligned to GBR’s financial settlement, providing GBR with greater autonomy and flexibility compared to today. These will reassure passengers that their fares will remain affordable, while ensuring sustainable use of taxpayer money on the network.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Railways Bill will set out the duties of the Great British Railways.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Railways Bill includes a range of duties which will apply across the activities of GBR. Clause 18 sets the general duties which will apply to GBR, the ORR, the Secretary of State for Transport, and Scottish and Welsh Ministers.

The general duties include promoting the interests of passengers, and promoting high standards of rail service performance. They set the foundation for how GBR will operate, guided by the public interest, and empowered to deliver a railway that works for its users, taxpayers and the wider public.

The Government has published a collection of fact sheets relating to the Railways Bill which can be found on the Gov.uk website. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/railways-bill

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how the Railways Bill will support improved connectivity for communities currently without such links.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Railways Bill will streamline the current fragmented system by establishing Great British Railways (GBR) as a new ‘directing mind’ for the industry, unifying track and train under one public body to deliver better services for passengers and customers, and better value for money for taxpayers.

GBR will work collaboratively with devolved leaders and local stakeholders to support local rail needs and improved integration with other modes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how Great British Railways plans to work with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on rail funding in Bradford; and what statutory role local transport authorities will have in shaping service patterns affecting the city.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Great British Railways will work closely with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, including on matters relating to rail funding in Bradford, through the statutory roles established in the Railways Bill and through a future partnership arrangement with GBR. GBR will be required to consult Mayoral Strategic Authorities where decisions on passenger services or rail infrastructure could have a significant impact on their areas. GBR will also have regard to their Local Transport Plans to ensure that local priorities – including how rail services interface with wider local transport networks – are fully considered.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what targets her Department has set for reducing rail journey times between (a) Bradford and Leeds and (b) Bradford and Manchester; and how those targets align with the objectives of the Railways Bill.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Northern Powerhouse Rail will seek to create a turn up and go railway for passengers from Bradford to travel to cities across the growth corridor, including improving connections to Leeds and Manchester.

The government is learning the lessons from HS2 by taking sufficient time to explore and develop options, and so building certainty in costs, outputs and benefits, before confirming decisions on details such as journey times. We will work closely with local leaders to do that.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned sequencing and timetable is for (a) publication of the draft Great British Railways licence for parliamentary scrutiny and formal consultation, (b) consultation led by the Office of Rail and Road on the Retail Code of Practice and (c) finalisation of those documents; and whether Parliament will be able to scrutinise the draft licence before the passage of the Railways Bill.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to Question 88358 Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament Further information on the GBR licence can be found in the Railways Bill factsheet: holding Great British Railways to account

There will also be a full consultation on the retail code of practice, and further detail will be confirmed in due course. Further information on the code of practice can be found at Railways Bill factsheet: tickets and retail.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral evidence to the Transport Committee on Wednesday 7 January 2026 on the Railways Bill, how structural separation between retail functions and cross-industry management functions of Great British Railway will operate, including governance, accounting, decision-making and information-sharing arrangements; where this separation will be formally set out; and when she plans to publish further details.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

To ensure fair and open competition when Great British Railways (GBR) has a dual role as a retailer and provider of wider retail industry management functions, the government has announced a robust package of safeguards. These are a Code of Practice, with the force of a GBR licence condition; separation of decision-making between GBR’s retailer and its cross-industry systems and services; and ORR monitoring and enforcement of GBR’s adherence with the Code of Practice.

The retail Code of Practice will incorporate clear requirements for how GBR should interact with all market participants. There will be full consultation on the Code of Practice, and further detail will be confirmed in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Railways Bill will include a statutory target for passenger growth.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Railways Bill was published on 5 November and will be debated at Committee stage later this month. GBR, as a passenger operator, will be incentivised to grow passenger numbers and will have a number of legal duties to support this. This includes duties to promote the interests of users, and potential users, and to maintain high standards of rail performance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2025 to Question 96704 on Great British Railways, if she will publish any internal implementation plans, programme plans, timelines, milestone documents or transition frameworks for the establishment of Great British Railways.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As set out in previous answers, the Great British Railways (GBR) design process is underway. We expect to stand up GBR within 12 months of the Railways Bill receiving Royal Assent.

We are developing our implementation plans as part of the GBR design process now and will share those in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps Great British Railway will take to make railway stations in Yeovil constituency more accessible.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the significant social and economic benefits this brings to passengers and communities.

In May 2024, the previous government agreed the publication of a list of 50 additional stations selected for initial feasibility work under the Access for All programme, which included Yeovil Junction in the Yeovil constituency. Network Rail has now completed this feasibility work, and the Government will shortly announce which of these stations will progress to the next stage.

The Railways Bill will ensure that the interests of all passengers, particularly those with accessibility needs, are at the heart of decision-making across the railways. Great British Railways (GBR) will have a clear passenger and accessibility duty, requiring it to consider the needs of disabled passengers and to embed improved accessibility at the core of the railway. However, we are not waiting for GBR to be established to deliver improvements. Alongside the Railways Bill, the Department for Transport has published the Roadmap to an Accessible Railway, which sets out the actions being taken now to improve accessibility and the day-to-day travel experience for passengers who need assistance, ahead of GBR’s creation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to recover the 6120 missing responses from the Railways Bill consultation; and what steps she is taking to ensure the integrity of the consultation process for future consultations.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Secretary of State has written to the Transport Select Committee on this issue, a copy of which can be found here: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/50296/documents/271772/default/.

We have no evidence of other consultations being affected and are taking all steps necessary to ensure our suppliers prevent a recurrence. This includes reviewing our email filtering system logs for all open consultations and seeking separate external assurance on the configuration of our replacement filtering system.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2025 to Question 94307 on Railways: Private Sector, what metrics her Department plans to use to measure the potential impact of the Railways Bill on levels of private sector innovation; and whether baseline data has been established for those measures.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As set out in the answer to Question 94307, establishing GBR through the Railways Bill will provide an integrated approach and greater longer-term certainty for rail, giving the private sector the confidence it needs to invest and support innovation throughout the sector. The Railways Bill Impact Assessment provides an assessment of the potential impacts of the rail reform policies within the Railways Bill, including the impacts on Business Environment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential differences in terms and conditions between outsourced and directly employed staff within train operating companies, including pay, sick pay, pensions and travel facilities; and whether the Railways Bill will include measures to address employment practices and contractual arrangements affecting outsourced rail workers.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has not made an assessment of the potential differences in terms and conditions between outsourced and directly employed staff within train operating companies. These matters are managed directly by the operators and employers themselves. In the future, workforce issues, including employment practices and contractual arrangements, will be a matter for Great British Railways. The Railways Bill does not cover matters relating to employment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the price of (a) rail and (b) road freight on rail freight operators in Devon.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Rail freight operations are typically long distance and cross-border in the UK. Under the Railways Bill, Government has proposed to place a duty on Great British Railways to promote the use of rail freight, meaning freight operators will benefit from a longer-term strategic approach to decision making on the railway which includes charging to use the network.

As part of our continued support for the wider freight sector, the Department has operated the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme (MSRS) since 2010. The scheme is designed to encourage modal shift by assisting with the operating costs associated with running rail or inland water freight transport instead of road, where rail or inland waterway transport is more expensive. The relative costs have been reviewed to ensure that the scheme continues to achieve its goal to support modal shift and are kept under review. Any matters relating to fuel duty comes under the remit of His Majesty’s Treasury.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the lower age limit for adult peak-time rail fares on the families of students who turn 18 during the academic year while remaining in full-time education until the end of that year; and whether her Department plans to review age-based rail fare eligibility to ensure consistency for students who are required to travel to school or college during peak hours.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Adult fares are payable for passengers from the age of 16. The 16-17 Saver can be purchased to extend the discount on child fares to 16- and 17-year-olds.

The Government has no current plans to amend existing concessionary discounts. As set out in the Railways Bill, in future Great British Railways will have the flexibility to update and expand concessionary offers, following engagement with other operators, as passenger needs change.

Transition of rail workers into Great British Railways

Found: poor performance, moving more train operating companies into public ownership and delivering the Railways Bill

Found: The Railways Bill will create Great British Railways (GBR), a new publicly owned company, that will run

Found: We introduced the Railways Bill, followed by the launch of the new Great British Railways brand.

Found: The railways bill continues its passage through Parliament and will establish GBR, a new publicly owned

Found: Today’s announcement follows last week’s second debate on the landmark railways bill and comes after

Found: The Railways Bill, introduced to Parliament on 5 November 2025, will streamline the current fragmented

Found: The Railways Bill, introduced to Parliament on 5 November 2025, will streamline the current fragmented

Found: assigning responsibility in running passenger rail services, set out in clauses 25 to 27 of the Railways Bill

Found: poor performance, moving more train operating companies into public ownership and delivering the Railways Bill

Found: The railways bill continues its passage through Parliament and will establish GBR, a new publicly owned

Found: Legislative Consent Memorandum and supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum for the Railways Bill

Found: no locus in this.We are currently scrutinising the provisions within the final version of the Railways Bill

Found: 2025 Consent recommended Northern Ireland Troubles Bill 11/12/2025 No recommendation on consent Railways Bill

Found: 1 LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MEMORANDUM Railways Bill 1.

Found: SUPPLEMENTARY LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MEMORANDUM (MEMORANDUM NO 2) Railways Bill 1.

Found: SUPPLEMENTARY LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MEMORANDUM (MEMORANDUM NO 3) Railways Bill 1.

Found: Committee to consider and report on the Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (No.2) on the Railways Bill

Found: Constitution Committee to consider and report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Railways Bill

Found: UK-wide plans and policies The UK Government Railways Bill, UKG 2025 sets out that a specific Great