Railways Bill: Third Reading

Parliament passed the Railways Bill at its Third Reading on 10 June 2026, by 278 votes to 149. Third Reading is the final substantive stage in the Commons, meaning the Bill passed to the House of Lords in its completed form. Labour and Labour-Co-operative MPs provided all 265 government votes, joined by five Greens, four independents, three Reform UK MPs, and one MP from Your Party. The Bill advances the government's programme to restructure the railways, bringing train operations back under public control. Passing Third Reading means the legislation moves forward intact, having survived a series of opposition amendments earlier the same day. Passengers, rail workers, and the wider transport sector now face the prospect of the structural changes the Bill sets out, subject to the Lords stage. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats together provided 147 of the 149 no votes, presenting a united opposition front. No Labour MP voted against. Three Reform UK MPs broke with their party's general posture of opposing the government and voted with ministers, as did a handful of independents. The same day saw three opposition amendments defeated, including Amendment 143 (167 ayes to 266 noes), Amendment 148 (155 ayes to 279 noes), and New Clause 1 (77 ayes to 271 noes), each of which the government saw off with comfortable majorities before the final passage vote.