Committee publication · Correspondence · 20 May 2026
Correspondence from the Secretary of State for Transport relating to the department's legislative agenda, dated 14 May 2026
From: Transport Committee
Summary
Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander outlines the Department for Transport's legislative agenda for the second Parliamentary session. The government plans to carry over the Railways Bill establishing Great British Railways, reintroduce the High-Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill for Northern Powerhouse Rail, introduce new Civil Aviation and Highways (Financing) Bills, and lay a draft Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny.
Key findings
- Railways Bill will be carried over to establish Great British Railways (GBR) with new leadership, accountability, and passenger focus
- High-Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill reintroduced to deliver faster, more reliable services and Northern Powerhouse Rail from Millington to Manchester Piccadilly via Airport
- Civil Aviation Bill designed to strengthen consumer rights, promote economic growth, and enhance aviation safety to maintain UK competitiveness
- Highways (Financing) Bill will enable new financing approach for large-scale road schemes to support modern transport network
- Draft Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Bill to be laid for pre-legislative scrutiny to modernise taxi and private hire law
Tone
ProceduralTopics
railwayshigh-speed-railaviationroad-infrastructuretransport-regulation
Key actors
Heidi Alexander MP, Ruth Cadbury MP, Department for Transport, Great British Railways
Notable line
“… this ambitious agenda sets us on a clear path towards continuing to deliver on the Government's priorities as the British people would expect.”
Key Quotes
“This bill will seek to address the neglect that our railways have suffered by delivering on the Government's manifesto commitment to establish Great British Railways”
“We will also be re-introducing the High-Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill, to help deliver faster, more reliable and more frequent services between the North of England's key cities.”
“Our Civil Aviation Bill will support our world-leading aviation sector to continue thriving for decades to come.”
“The draft bill will modernise taxi and private hire law for the way people travel today, delivering services people can trust.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗