Great British Railways: Huge shake-up of the rail network announced

The Department for Transport has announced a new public body, ‘Great British Railways’ to integrate the railways and deliver passenger-focused travel with simpler, modern fares and reliable services.

A new public body, Great British Railways (GBR), will integrate the railways, owning the infrastructure, collecting fare revenue, running and planning the network, and setting most fares and timetables. It will bring an end to a quarter-century of fragmentation on the railways.

Ticketing will be simplified with new flexible season tickets introduced and more convenient Pay As You Go, contactless and digital ticketing on smartphones.

This is not a full nationalisation of the railways however, a substantial and often greater role will remain in play for the private sector. GBR will contract private companies to operate most trains to the timetables and fares it specifies, similar to how Transport for London operates the Overground.

You can read more about this story on the Governments website.