8th Report - Railways Bill
Select Committee
Transport Committee
HC 1472
10 February 2026
Government response
4th Special Report - Railways Bill: Government Response · published 24 Apr 2026
Recommendations & Conclusions
4 results
1
Conclusion
Accepted
Committee supports the Railways Bill's purpose to establish Great British Railways as the 'directing mind'.
Conclusion
We recognise the need for structural change on the railways. We support the main purpose of the Railways Bill: to establish Great British Railways as a single organisation overseeing both track and train, and capable of acting as a ‘directing …
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Government Response Summary
The government will publish a document this Spring outlining key documents and target dates to ensure Parliament and industry stakeholders have confidence that further information on these products will be timely and forthcoming.
Department for Transport
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22
Recommendation
Accepted
Amend Clause 18 and 36 duties, mandating bodies to improve rail network accessibility.
Recommendation
The clause 18 duty on Great British Railways, the Office of Rail and Road and the Secretary of State, and the clause 36 duty on the Passengers’ Council, should be amended to require these bodies to exercise their functions in …
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Government Response Summary
The Government welcomes the Committee’s support for the specific inclusion of the needs of disabled passengers in the passenger interest duty at clause 18, and in the duty on the Passengers’ Council at clause 36 and Accessibility is one of the Government’s top priorities for the railway and will be a central focus for GBR and other key decision-makers in the industry.
Department for Transport
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25
Conclusion
Accepted
Railways Bill risks adding complexity to transport accessibility without enhancing enforcement.
Conclusion
The Department for Transport has previously accepted the need to update and streamline the complex and confusing legal framework for transport accessibility. It would be unhelpful were the Railways Bill to add more complexity to this situation, especially if it …
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Government Response Summary
The government notes the recommendation but believes the Railways Bill is already clear on the matter of transport accessibility and freight, referring to existing clauses and stakeholder engagement.
Department for Transport
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26
Recommendation
Accepted
Publish Equality Impact Assessment and clarify legal relationship with Equality Act duties.
Recommendation
The Equality Impact Assessment should have been published alongside the Bill to assist parliamentary scrutiny; we look forward to seeing it published as soon as possible. We ask that the Government clarify in that document or elsewhere the intended legal …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation, stating that the accessibility duty will independently support some of the requirements under the reasonable adjustments duty at section 20 of the Equality Act 2010, and that this relationship is set out in the recently published Equality Impact Assessment.
Department for Transport
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