Arriva Group proposes five-step plan to reform UK railways

Credit: Arriva UK Trains

Arriva Group has announced that it has outlined a five-step plan to reform the UK railway system, urging the government to adopt these measures to deliver immediate improvements. The report, titled “Accelerating the Government’s Ambition to Fix Britain’s Railways,” aims to complement the government’s long-term reform agenda.

Key recommendations from the report include:

• Optimising network and fleet utilisation: Making more effective use of existing resources to reduce overcrowding and attract investment
• Flexible timetabling: Empowering train operating companies to make timetable decisions that better reflect passenger demand and support economic growth
• Improving workforce skills: Investing in employee development to address the skills gap and enhance efficiency
• Greenlighting new services: Approving open access routes and accelerating the development of key infrastructure projects like the Oxford to Cambridge arc
• Expanding ticketing options: Introducing Pay-As-You-Go travel and a Friday peak saver ticket.

David Brown, Managing Director of Arriva UK Trains, said: “The last few years have been a challenging time for the British railway – but now is the time for optimistic, forward-looking change under a new government. There is a real opportunity to marry long-term structural reform, which Labour has set out, with further short-term improvements for passengers and the taxpayer. Our proposals set out a series of crucial steps for the Government to help deliver on that promise, accelerate their ambition to fix Britain’s railways, deliver tangible change for passengers, and realise the railway’s potential as an engine of economic growth.”

Arriva Group, which operates several train franchises in the UK, believes that these reforms can help stabilize the railway, improve passenger satisfaction, and unlock the railway’s potential as an engine of economic growth.