RIA: Next Government needs to move quickly on rail reform

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has published a report scrutinising the Government’s rail reform programme. The cross-party committee of MPs said ‘no-one in Government is putting the needs of passengers and taxpayers first.’

Commenting on the report Railway Industry Association (RIA) Policy Director Robert Cook said: ‘Two years ago RIA published five tests for Great British Railways in which we called for the reform programme to support ambition, transparency, partnership, productivity and avoid any hiatus in work. Over recent years we have consistently written to ministers, urging them to get on with rail reform.’

He continued: ‘Six years to the month since the timetabling chaos which instigated the Williams Review and the rail reform programme, the Committee’s conclusions are a reminder that our tests have still not been met and that many rail suppliers have struggled through this uncertainty. The next Government needs to accelerate rail reform and to drive growth and deliver a better railway.’