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Written Question
Railways
Tuesday 20th September 2022

Asked by: Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government to list the restrictive practices they believe exist in the railway industry which hinder its efficiency and modernisation.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton

The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, published May 2021, identified six key problems with our railways:

  • The rail sector too often loses sight of its customers, both passengers and freight;
  • It is missing opportunities to meet the needs of the communities it serves;
  • It is fragmented, and accountabilities are not always clear;
  • The sector lacks clear strategic direction;
  • It needs to become more productive and tackle long-term costs;
  • It struggles to innovate and adapt.

There are outdated working practices preventing passengers getting the service they pay for and deserve and making the railway cost more than it should to run. To provide funding for an affordable pay rise, we need to leave these outdated working practices in the past and create a railway fit for the future.

For instance, under an agreement dating back to 1919, Sunday working is voluntary for most of the railway, leaving operators short staffed and unable to cope with the surge in popularity for weekend travel post-pandemic. Whilst working practices in track maintenance are years behind other sectors and prevents us running the best possible train service.