Railways: Passengers

(asked on 24th March 2026) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department will produce a specific passenger focused plan on train travel post rail-reform as recommended by the Public Accounts Committee.


Answered by
Keir Mather Portrait
Keir Mather
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This question was answered on 31st March 2026

The Public Accounts Committee recommendation referred to the draft legislation of the previous Government. This Government has been clear it is committed to a relentless focus on passengers, as set out for example in the response to the consultation on the Railways Bill in November 2025. Through this Bill we are putting in place a clear passenger-focused framework for the reformed railway, including new duties on the Great British Railways (GBR) to promote the interests of users and potential users of railway passenger services. The Bill also provides for the Secretary of State to issue a Long-Term Rail Strategy, that will set out the overarching vision for the railway, and GBR will then reflect this in its business plan that will cover both track and train. The combined effect of the Long-Term Rail Strategy, the integrated business plan, statutory passenger duties - plus the creation of a new Passenger Watchdog - together provide a comprehensive and coherent passenger-focused framework.

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