Transport Secretary takes first step in bringing railways back into public ownership

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has taken her first steps towards improving rail services with the introduction to Parliament of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill.

The Bill will give government powers to return passenger rail services to public ownership by making a public sector operator the default, rather than last resort choice when private operators fail.

Plans will see a piecemeal renationalisation of the railways as franchise contracts reach the ends of current terms, with services run by the Department for Transport’s Operator of Last Resort already, including Northern and TransPennine Express, remaining in public hands.

Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, said:

“As Passenger-in-Chief, I said we’d move fast and fix things and that’s exactly what we’re doing with this weighty, radical legislative agenda.

“Our transport system is broken, but today’s bill will pave the way for better trains that work for everyone, no matter where you live.

“After years of inefficiency, we’re 2 weeks in and the first steps towards rail reform are being taken today. Change starts now.“

The government looks to improve the efficiency of running the railways by bringing services under public control in place of having multiple private sector operators in different parts of the country. The move also hopes to improve the quality and reliability of operations.

The Bill is one of five transport-related pieces of legislation that were set out in the King’s Speech on Wednesday 17th July, and are seen as critical for supporting economic growth, delivering net zero commitments and delivering benefits in all parts of the country.