TO BE PUBLISHED April 2025
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This conference will focus on next steps for Britain’s rail network as the sector, its partners and customers prepare for the establishment of Great British Railways (GBR).
It is bringing together key stakeholders with policymakers to assess priorities for Shadow Great British Railways and the creation of a unified arm’s length body to bring together network management and passenger service operations. Delegates will consider frameworks for the transition of powers to the new body, and for collaboration between Train Operating Companies, Network Rail and wider stakeholder groups ahead of legislation to create GBR.
Areas for discussion include the way forward - both during the transition period and once GBR has been established - for accountability, including the relationship between the arm’s length body, government and devolved parliaments, as well as balancing operational independence with long-term strategy and infrastructure priorities guided by the Secretary of State. Stakeholders will consider decision-making mechanisms as the Rail Industry Association calls on the Government to expedite decisions on major projects that cannot wait until GBR is fully established.
Sessions will assess implications for the future of UK rail freight, as it remains in the private sector. Delegates will discuss open access and what can be done to ensure fair access for all Freight Operating Companies and open access providers, as services and timetabling are eventually taken over by GBR. In light of the Transport Secretary’s letter to the ORR outlining the Government’s expectations, there will also be discussion on the future role of open access alongside a publicly-owned railway and the potential requirement for ORR to apply more stringent tests for future open access services.
With the announcement that the first franchises will be transferred into public ownership in 2025 under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act, delegates will assess how the transitional period of passenger services will be managed and its impact on the overall performance of the passenger railway. They will explore practicalities such as integrated ticketing, looking at next steps beyond the initial transfer of service operations to DfT Operator and key considerations for eventual integration into GBR.
Planning for the replacing of Network Rail and bringing infrastructure management under GBR’s control will also be discussed, alongside external engagement, and wider implications for passengers and the rail industry of the transition to GBR, as the Government launches an independent review into fare prosecution.
In anticipation of the 2025 spending review, delegates will consider target areas for investment by the Government, following recognition by the Transport Secretary of ‘low levels’ of public spending on rail in Wales, looking at next steps for delivering rail connectivity projects committed to in the Budget, such as Northern Powerhouse, the Transpennine Route Upgrade and East-West Rail, in light of the cancellation of Phase 2 of HS2.
Following the Rail and Urban Transport Review, sessions will also look at the possible scope and structures for public-private sector partnerships and how potential benefits might be achieved, as well as priorities for accelerating and optimising delivery of infrastructure projects. We also expect further discussion on wider issues impacting the rail industry, including next steps for implementing Network Rail’s CP7 delivery plan and potential implications of the ORR-led review into train operators’ revenue protection practices.
We are pleased to be able to include keynote sessions with: John Larkinson, Chief Executive, ORR; and Paul Harwood, Programme Director, Partners and Place, Great British Railways Transition Team.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from DfT; ORR; Transport Scotland; and UKIB.
