Railways Bill

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Report stage & 3rd reading
Wednesday 10th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Keir Mather]

I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. I hope he sees that the Government have tabled amendments to ensure that Great British Railways cannot be privatised by the back door. Any changes would have to be made through an Act of Parliament, with full consultation with the House. I am sure that the people who have sent us here would look at any proposition to turn back the clock on the momentous decision we are taking—to go back to a railway that was fractured, in decline and confusing for passengers to use—and encourage every Member of Parliament not to do so. That is the importance of our amendments, and I am glad that my hon. Friends sees that.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

GBR launched in my constituency when South Western Railway came back into public ownership. The engineers at the depot said that bringing rail and the railways together would improve customer experience. Will my hon. Friend expand on that?

[Keir Mather]

I am glad that my hon. Friend is working so closely with the people who drive our railway and discussing the impact that GBR will have. She is right to say that, by integrating track and train and having a single directing mind for our railway, we can think more holistically about the skills of those we need to drive that change. That is a really exciting possibility to take forward.

Finally on amendment 92, I pay special tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Northfield (Laurence Turner). It is no exaggeration to say that, without his efforts, this historic provision would not be entering the statute book. I thank him for his work with my officials and the Rail Minister to make that change a reality.

I see that the hon. Member for South West Devon (Rebecca Smith) is again attempting through an amendment—we discussed this in Committee—to press the railway back into a mode of franchising. The 30 years of privatisation are what left our railways in the fragmented and dysfunctional state they were in when this Government came to power. We took immediate steps to fix that, passing the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024. It is only right that any future Government that wish to return us to a railway with rising costs, confusing and inconsistent fares, and record cancellations should have to seek agreement from this place.

I turn to new clauses 49 and 50, and amendments 124 and 132. They introduce a new route for the independent sector regulator, the ORR, to modify non-GBR operator licences. That will allow the ORR, after consultation with the operator and others and the passing of a statutory notice period, to modify the contents of a licence. That approach is consistent with that taken in other regulated sectors such as water, electricity and gas. Such modifications will be needed across the industry to reflect the changes we are making in this Bill and to ensure the consistent adoption of standards and services across the rail network.

Amendments 168 and 169 ensure that the ORR can still make technical modifications to the GBR licence with GBR’s consent. That reflects the fact that it would not be appropriate for the Secretary of State to be involved in every minor and technical amendment to the GBR licence. From day one, we have been committed to creating a simpler and more unified rail sector. Industry-wide alignment is critical to ensuring that passengers and other users of the rail network benefit from a less fragmented system. The amendments will ensure that all operators, not just GBR, are in lockstep in adhering to consumer standards set by the passenger watchdog, obligations relating to rail safety and the effective delivery of vital cross-industry functions by GBR.

New clause 48 and amendments 110 to 119, and 126 to 128 all build on the transfer scheme provisions that were added to the Bill in Committee. New clause 48, together with amendments 118 and 119, introduces a new power to vary the application of certain taxes in relation to transfer schemes. That ensures that we can restructure the public sector and move staff and assets into GBR in a tax-neutral manner, avoiding a complex and unnecessary money-go-round that would hinder the delivery of better public services. Beyond that, the remaining amendments I referred to are all technical and ensure that the transfer scheme provisions are fit for purpose.

Amendments 107, 108, 141 and 142 are technical amendments to clarify the definition of GBR infrastructure and to ensure that GBR can run trains on third-party infrastructure, for example High Speed 1.

You will have to buckle in for this one, Madam Deputy Speaker: amendments 93, 97 to 106, 109, 120 to 123, 133, 137, 139 and 140 are all technical amendments that ensure the Railways Bill supports the potential future corporate structures of GBR. As I have already said, the Bill will be a long-lasting piece of legislation, and it is right that it provides an appropriate level of flexibility for GBR to adapt and change in the years ahead. It must design itself to meet the challenges of the day, and the Bill must enable it to do that.

Finally, amendments 94, 95 and 136 correct an oversight in the legislation and ensure that Transport for London and other local government bodies can continue to co-operate with the Secretary of State for specific purposes, as well as with GBR, reflecting that decisions about devolution will remain with the Secretary of State.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Thursday 8th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Julia Buckley (Shrewsbury) (Lab)]

15. What steps she is taking to help improve local bus services in rural areas.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

16. What steps she is taking to help improve local bus services.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Simon Lightwood)]

Happy new year, Mr Speaker. You wait for one bus question, and seven arrive at the same time! We are transforming local bus services through our Bus Services Act 2025, which empowers local authorities to deliver better services in a way that works for local people. To back this up with investment, we are putting £3 billion into supporting local leaders and bus operators across the country in improving bus services for millions of passengers.

--- Later in debate ---

[Simon Lightwood]

The Government recently allocated Shropshire £13 million of bus funding from 2026-27, and for the first time the formula used to calculate allocations now includes consideration of rural areas. In addition, our Bus Services Act 2025 gives local leaders the tools to deliver the bus services on which communities can rely.

[Jessica Toale]

The subject of improving local bus routes, particularly those that connect the town centre, station and airport, frequently comes up in my conversations with Bournemouth West residents. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council has received £6 million from the Government to sustain and improve bus services, but despite that, it is threatening to cut vital routes, such as the No.36, on which lots of elderly and vulnerable residents rely. Will the Minister join me in condemning that decision, and call on the council to protect the vital routes on which residents rely?

[Simon Lightwood]

Government funding to improve bus services for passengers should do just that, and should protect vital services. It is frankly shocking that Lib Dem-led Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council is cutting support for local bus services. I encourage the council to listen to my hon. Friend and ensure that the £17 million allocated to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole over the next three years delivers improved bus networks for her community.

Railways Bill

Jessica Toale Excerpts

2nd reading
Tuesday 9th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Heidi Alexander]

The hon. Lady is right to say that South Western Railway had a difficult few months after it came into public ownership, but the problems that it is experiencing were inherited from the private sector operator. The number of new Arterio trains on the South Western Railway network has quadrupled since the train operating company came into public ownership, and there have been, on average, fewer cancellations in the directly operated service than there were in the privately run service.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

I thank the Secretary of State for joining me at Branksome depot in my constituency to launch Great British Railways. It was welcomed by engineers, passengers, railway operators and local schools. I have a very different experience from that of the hon. Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson), so will my right hon. Friend tell us how the Bill will benefit constituents and passengers across the rail network?

[Heidi Alexander]

We had a wonderful day in Bournemouth marking the first train operating company coming into public ownership under our new legislation. We will have a laser-like focus on building a railway that the public can be proud of and rely on.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Thursday 13th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

T6. At least nine major roads in my constituency will be affected by roadworks in the next week. Seemingly endless utility works and roadworks are a crucial issue for my constituents, who have told me it makes them late for work, school pick-up and even hospital appointments. Can the Minister tell me what steps her Department is taking to improve the situation for my constituents?

[Lilian Greenwood]

This Government stand with local road users who are frustrated by roadworks that cause unnecessary disruption. While councils and utility companies should always work together to minimise the impact of their works, we are also taking action: we are doubling fixed penalty notices for utility companies that do not comply with certain requirements for carrying out their street works, and we have extended overrun charges of up to £10,000 per day to weekends and bank holidays, to prevent overrunning roadworks.