The past year has presented the railway with unprecedented challenges. The commitment and passion of operators has ensured services have continued to operate throughout. One morning I was stood at London Bridge, and while only six people got off one train, every one of them made their way to Guy’s Hospital, which is a striking example of how important the railways have been during the pandemic.
Even before the pandemic, there were questions about the future of the industry, and it is wrong to blame all our problems on Covid. The need for change was there long before it, with major issues such as the repeated failure of the East Coast franchise, the May 2018 timetable problems and rising costs. We’ve seen strong demand growth for both passenger and freight, but the industry had reached a tipping point.
I’m passionate about the rail reform agenda and strongly welcome the publication of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail. The Government is proposing the biggest change to the industry for 30 years, with the formation of a new public body, Great British Railways, to absorb the responsibilities of several organisations, including Network Rail. People ask me about whether I want to run the new body, but it’…
