Legislation to bring Great Britain’s railways into public ownership and establish a new integrated delivery body, Great British Railways (GBR), will be brought forward in this Parliament, as confirmed by the King’s Speech on 17 July.
More than 30 bills were announced in the speech, including several which will significantly impact the civil engineering sector. Notably, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill aims to accelerate project delivery. Additionally, a series of bills related to overhauling the country’s railways were introduced.
Key Railway Legislation:
Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill: This bill will deliver on the Labour government’s manifesto pledge to bring rail services back into public ownership, improving passenger services and driving growth. An Ipsos survey in May 2024 found that 54% of people supported this policy.
Railways Bill: This bill will establish GBR, creating a unified and simplified rail system that focuses on improving services for passengers and delivering better value for taxpayers. The bill aims to end years of fragmentation and waste by bringing the management of the network and the delivery of passenger services under GBR’s leadership. Additional reforms include a simplified ticketing system, a statutory duty to promote rail freight, and an increased role for open-access operators.
High-Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill: Previously used to grant powers to build High Speed 2 (HS2) north of Birmingham, this bill will now improve rail connectivity in the North of England, including new stations at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport. The government clarified that this does not reverse the decision to cancel HS2 Phase 2.
Industry Reaction:
Jonathan Willcock, Costain Managing Director of Transportation: “The UK needs a world-class rail network to support jobs, growth, and net zero. The Rail Reform Bill lays the groundwork for bringing track and train back together under Great British Railways. The new body should adopt an approach to investment that directs improvements in infrastructure towards opportunities for economic growth.”
Darren Caplan, Railway Industry Association (RIA) Chief Executive: “RIA welcomes today’s King’s Speech as a strong legislative programme for driving growth by building sustainable infrastructure and improving transport. A reformed and unified railway system under GBR can focus on meeting growing passenger demand and boosting industry revenues.”
Sue Percy, Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) Chief Executive: “We welcome the announcements and hope these will provide the certainty and clarity of vision needed to support the highways and transportation sector. Priorities we identified in our manifesto, such as improving and streamlining the planning system and investing in skills, have been included in this legislative agenda.”
Matt Finch, Transport & Environment UK Policy Manager: “The King’s Speech proves Labour is serious about making our public transport systems fit for the 21st century. This is absolutely needed, as is a renewed focus on how to decarbonise planes, trucks, and ships.”
Chris Simms, Burges Salmon Partner: “The need for Rail Reform has been on the agenda since before the Covid pandemic and has broad, cross-party support. The early appearance of a Rail Reform bill is expected to lay the foundations for rapid action by the new government. The key questions for the industry now will be how quickly this bill moves through parliament, and when the subsequent nationalisation of operators begins.”
These legislative measures aim to transform the UK’s railway system, improve passenger services, and enhance infrastructure to support economic growth and sustainability.
