What's Next For Britain's Rail Network And Its Passengers?

The rather dry-sounding Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 has received royal assent and is thus now law.

- SEAN O'GRADY

It means most of the remaining parts of the British railways sector will be nationalised in the coming years - a quiet, slow revolution but potentially transformative nonetheless. The "guiding mind" of Great British Railways will take over the contracts from the various, often foreign, operating companies. The first to return to full public ownership under the new arrangements will be South Western Railways, which will be renationalised in May 2025, followed by c2c in July and Greater Anglia in the autumn. Although she didn’t stay in office for very long, the former transport secretary Louise Haigh has left behind a considerable legacy. But it’s not that clear what happens next...

What will change?

Remarkably little on day one, which has already passed without fanfare, and perhaps not much thereafter. The main business, staff, fares and services won’t necessarily be very different, and the business challenges remain identical. Historically, most train operators run at a loss.

While investment in some areas rose impressively under privatisation in 1994, much could be done to improve connectivity and passenger satisfaction – and help boost economic growth. Passenger numbers also increased after British Rail was wound up in the 1990s but traffic remains below pre-pandemic levels. Given the state of the public finances, there seems little chance that rail users will see the magic combination of lower fares, higher investment and improved services.

What’s it all costing?