Committee publication · Special Report · 24 April 2026 · HC 1836
4th Special Report - Railways Bill: Government Response
From: Transport Committee
Inquiry: Railways Bill
Summary
This is the Government's formal response to the Transport Committee's eighth report on the Railways Bill (HC 1472), published 10 February 2026. The Government accepts or partially accepts most recommendations, committing to publish a comprehensive timeline of decisions and documents before Report Stage, a discussion document on the Long Term Rail Strategy, and policy details on GBR's licence. It declines amendments requiring necessity and proportionality tests on ministerial directions, statutory guidance on duty-balancing, or mandatory passenger growth targets, arguing existing frameworks suffice.
Key findings
- Government agrees to publish comprehensive list of decisions, key documents and milestones leading to GBR establishment and its first year of operation, including workforce consultation timelines.
- Government partially accepts the recommendation to amend clause 7 requiring 'necessary and proportionate' test for ministerial directions, arguing public law precedent and existing arm's-length body practice make legislative amendment unnecessary.
- Government commits to publishing discussion document on Long Term Rail Strategy contents and will lay LTRS before Parliament with Written Ministerial Statements to enable scrutiny of revisions.
- Government rejects requirement for statutory guidance on how GBR should balance competing duties, stating the business planning process with ORR oversight provides adequate checks and transparency.
- Government declines to establish a passenger journey growth duty, asserting GBR's commercial incentives and general duties to promote users' interests already achieve this objective.
Government position
The Government accepts the committee's broad diagnosis that rail reform through GBR is necessary but partially accepts or rejects specific legislative amendments. It argues that existing public law principles, arm's-length body precedent, and the GBR business planning framework—subject to ORR review and Secretary of State approval—provide sufficient safeguards without new statutory requirements. The Government commits to greater transparency through published timelines, discussion documents, and memoranda of understanding, but resists prescriptive amendments it views as either unnecessary (because existing law already constrains ministerial action) or counterproductive (because they would undermine GBR's operational independence). On accessibility and the Passengers' Council, the Government accepts most recommendations in principle but prefers administrative rather than legislative implementation.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Transport Committee, Department for Transport, Great British Railways (GBR), Office of Rail and Road (ORR), Passengers' Council, Secretary of State, Scottish Ministers, Welsh Ministers
Notable line
“The railway should be run by experts, not politicians. The establishment of GBR is therefore the only answer.”
Key Quotes
“The Government agrees with the Committee that micromanagement and political involvement has become a common feature of the current rail landscape.”
“GBR will be empowered to be a commercially minded organisation that operates at arm's-length from the Government and is trusted to take charge of the railway without being overly hindered by bureaucracy.”
“It is a critical driver of our vision for the reformed railway.”
“These duties make it clear that GBR, Ministers, the ORR and the Passengers' Council must consider the needs of those with disabilities when carrying out their statutory railway functions.”
“This will ensure there is no lapse while the Council considers any further standards for future implementation.”
“… the ORR, as the independent rail regulator, satisfies itself against its own duties and obligations that enforcement action is appropriate and what form this will take.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗