Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether it remains their policy to introduce Great British Rail; and if so, which aspects of the policies set out in the Great British Railways: Williams-Shapps plan for rail can be introduced without primary legislation.

In February, the Secretary of State set out his vision for a customer-focused, commercially led industry, with the creation of Great British Railways (GBR) as the guiding mind for the sector. Derby was announced as the location for the GBR Headquarters in March. We are working closely with the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) and the sector and will progress legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Ahead of legislation, many reforms and tangible benefits for rail users can be delivered, including workforce reform, the rollout of Pay-As-You-Go ticketing, simplifying fares, building local partnerships, as well as the publication of the first draft of the Long-Term Strategy for Rail.