Rail Partners

Rail Partners responds to King's Speech
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date 17 July 2024
source Rail Partners
type Press release

Rail Partners chief executive, Andy Bagnall, said:

‘Train companies have been calling for radical reform of the railway for several years, including the creation of Great British Railways, so the commitment to reform in today’s King’s Speech is an important milestone. However, getting the detail right below the headline is critical to achieving the government’s ambitions for green growth and reducing the railway’s financial burden on the taxpayer.

‘We want the same outcomes as the new Labour Government – a better railway for those that use it and pay for it. But to change the railway for the better, we must correctly understand the causes of the current challenges to get the right solutions – and full nationalisation is a political not a practical solution, which will increase costs over time.

‘We welcome the recognition that private sector freight and open access operators have a lot to offer, but passenger train companies also have a track record of growing the railway. They want to partner with the government to achieve this success again, within the new framework.

‘This would give public ownership of a joined-up railway but also use train companies as delivery agents to drive better commercial outcomes – which would produce results faster and at a lower cost. This approach is already being successfully used by Labour Mayors in London and Manchester, and increasingly across Europe.’

Notes to editors

Rail Partners' response to Labour's Getting Britain Moving document is here: [https://railpartners.co.uk/latest/news/rail-partners-responds-to-labours-plans-to-renationalise-the-railways]

The benefits associated with competition on and for the railway are explored in our publication Track to Growth: [Creating a dynamic railway for passengers and the economy]

About Rail Partners

Rail Partners exists to make the railway better by harnessing the expertise and creativity of private sector operators for the benefit of those who use the railway, passengers and freight customers, and those who pay for it, including taxpayers.

Rail Partners provides advocacy and policy solutions for its private sector passenger owning group and freight company members. Rail Partners additionally provides technical services to train operating companies in both the public and private sectors. For more information regarding our membership visit:? [https://www.railpartners.co.uk/]

Railhub Archive ::: 2024-07-17 RPA-001