THE GOVERNMENT has announced plans to establish a national watchdog for the country’s rail network.
A consultation has been launched today (Tuesday, February 18) proposing a national body to deliver more reliable train travel.
The government aims to work with industry organisations to tackle “outdated and inefficient processes” which it says have resulted in poor performance and complex fares and ticketing.
It also aims to give devolved leaders better say in how services impact towns and cities to make travel simpler and attract more people to public transport.
The plans would see the instatement of Great British Railways (GBR) to tackle the highest-ranked issues in passenger complaints: rooting out problems that cause poor journeys, ensuring passengers are given clear information, and confusing rail fares and tickets passengers.
The government intends to be able to hold rail providers to account on behalf of passengers and arbitrate over the handling of complaints.
It will also work with the Transport Secretary to establish a set of standards on issues such as journey information and assistance, investigate persistent problems, as well as publish reports on poor service.
Consultations on the plans have been launched which will also examine far-reaching reforms and how GBR will interact with the industry to effectively implement its plans and ensure railways deliver the services passengers deserve.
The consultation, launching today (Tuesday, February 18), will last for eight weeks.
Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander said: “Passengers have put up with broken railways for far too long.
“This landmark reform will sweep away decades of failure, creating a Great British Railways passengers can rely on.
“We’re giving passengers a powerful voice with a new watchdog dedicated to addressing their biggest concerns, building railways people can trust, improving our services and boosting the economy in the process – the priority in our Plan for Change.”
