UK Inquiry Tracker

Rail reform: The rail transformation programme

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 22 Mar 2024 Closed: 29 May 2024 Parliament page

The Department for Transport (DfT) set out its plan to transform the way the rail system works in May 2021, in response to significant disruption to passengers in May 2018 following a failed introduction of a new timetable. The creation of Great British Railways (GBR) was proposed, a new organisation … Read more The Department for Transport (DfT) set out its plan to transform the way the rail system works in May 2021, in response to significant disruption to passengers in May 2018 following a failed introduction of a new timetable. The creation of Great British Railways (GBR) was proposed, a new organisation with responsibility for the whole rail system, by early 2024. Legislation to enable the creation of GBR was not brought during 2022, and DfT revised its approach to delivering rail reform in 2023. The National Audit Office (NAO) published its report looking at whether DfT had set up its rail transformation programme to deliver value for money in March 2024. This found that the rail sector’s performance, both for passengers and the taxpayer, is not good enough and has not been for some time. The report further found that government had spent £3.1billion on subsidies for passenger services in 2022-23, a level considered unsustainable by DfT. The Committee’s overview of the English rail system report in 2021 found that the rail system has become increasingly costly for the taxpayer. In 2019-20, the net cost of the system to the taxpayer was £5.1billion. This represented a 99.7% increase in real terms from 2015-16 to 2019-20. The report called for radical, effective reform in the rail system, and for aspirations and intentions to be turned into concrete actions that deliver meaningful change. Based on the NAO report, the Committee will hear from senior officials at DfT, Network Rail and from the GBR Transition Team, on subjects including: Progress against DfT’s plans for reform; Performance; Levels of spending on subsidisation of passenger rail services. If you have evidence on these issues, please submit it here by 23:59 on 12 April 2024. Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. This inquiry was closed due to the 2024 General Election. Show less

9 Recommendations

15 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

3 Letters

1 Event

Activity timeline 7 events

11 Jul
2025

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Thirty-eighth report from Session 2023-24

27 May
2024

Report published

Thirty-Eighth Report - Rail reform: The rail transformation programme

22 May
2024

Correspondence

Correspondence from Dame Bernadette Kelly DCB, Permanent Secretary, Department for Transport, re Rail reform: The rail transformation progr…

14 May
2024

Correspondence

Correspondence from Dame Bernadette Kelly, Permanent Secretary, Department for Transport, re Follow-up to the session of Monday 29 - Rail r…

14 May
2024

Correspondence

Correspondence from Dame Bernadette Kelly, Permanent Secretary, Department for Transport, re Rail reform the rail transformation program, d…

29 Apr
2024

Oral evidence

Rail reform: the rail transformation programme

29 Apr
2024

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Rail reform: the rail transformation programme

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

29 Apr 2024

View on parliament.uk

Rail reform: the rail transformation programme

Andrew Haines · Network Rail Anit Chandarana · Department for Transport Conrad Bailey · Department for Transport Dame Bernadette Kelly DCB · Department for Transport

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Thirty-Eighth Report - Rail reform: The rail transformation prog…	HC 652	27 May 2024	24	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 results

7 Conclusion

Thirty-Eighth Report - Rail reform…

Previous rail reviews failed to drive system-wide improvements for passengers and taxpayers.

Government and industry reviews of the railways over the past two decades have identified similar problems to the Williams review.11 We asked the Department why these reviews had failed to lead to improvements. It said that reviews have not always … Read more

HM Treasury

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12 Conclusion Not Addressed

Thirty-Eighth Report - Rail reform…

Department has consistently committed to improving rail accessibility through various long-term programmes.

Improving accessibility runs throughout the Department’s reform ambitions and is one of the 62 commitments included in its White Paper: ‘The first robust national accessibility strategy and long-term investment programme will improve inclusion and access for all.’25 Even earlier than … Read more

Government Response

This conclusion references the Department's prior commitments to improving access. The government's response is the same as for IDs 7080 and 7081.

HM Treasury

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13 Conclusion Not Addressed

Thirty-Eighth Report - Rail reform…

Department remains slow to deliver tangible rail accessibility improvements despite acknowledging the need.

We asked the Department about the passenger improvements it has made for disabled passengers and people who find accessibility an issue. The Department recognised that it needs to make sure the railway works for disabled passengers, and that accessibility is … Read more

Government Response

This conclusion references a consultation on a national rail accessibility strategy and the example of Leagrave station. The government's response is the same as for IDs 7081 and 7079.

HM Treasury

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16 Conclusion

Thirty-Eighth Report - Rail reform…

Delays in rail reform legislation mean significant forecast savings will not be achieved.

We asked the Department for clarity around how the new contracts would work. The Department told us that it is in the process of developing a further version of national rail contracts, designed to further encourage growth in revenue and … Read more

HM Treasury

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18 Conclusion

Thirty-Eighth Report - Rail reform…

Department and HM Treasury fundamentally disagreed on GBR's remit, independence, and commercial model from the outset.

The Department intended that Great British Railways (GBR) would act as the ‘guiding mind’ for the railways, with responsibility for the whole rail system.40 But the Department and HM Treasury disagreed on key areas of rail reform from the start, … Read more

HM Treasury

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Government Response AI assessment · 21 of 9 classified

Accepted 11

Acknowledged 8

Not Addressed 2

Total 9 recs + 15 conclusions

Correspondence 3 letters

22 May 2024 Correspondence from Dame Bernadette Kelly DCB, Permanent Secretary, Department for Transport, re Rail reform: The rail transformation programme - Oral evidence, dated 7 May 2024

Parliament page

14 May 2024 Correspondence from Dame Bernadette Kelly, Permanent Secretary, Department for Transport, re Follow-up to the session of Monday 29 - Rail reform: the rail transformation programme, dated 7 May 2024

Parliament page

14 May 2024 Correspondence from Dame Bernadette Kelly, Permanent Secretary, Department for Transport, re Rail reform the rail transformation program, dated 7 May 2024

Parliament page