The British Government has launched a comprehensive review of UK railway operations in an attempt to improve the reliability and accountability of services nationwide.
The review of UK railway operations is claimed to be the most significant since the UK privatised rail services, and is led by former British Airways chief executive Keith Williams, supported by an external panel.
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Various recommendations will be assessed by the panel to transform the railway operations model, including minimising disruption of services, utilisation of new technology, as well as strengthening franchises.
UK Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “Privatisation has delivered huge benefits to passengers on Britain’s railways, doubling passenger journeys and bringing in billions of private investment.
“But it is clear that the structure we inherited is no longer fit to meet today’s challenges and cope with increasing customer demand.
“Following the disruption this summer we took immediate action to improve services and ensure the industry compensated passengers.
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By GlobalData“We’ve been clear that the railway needs reform to prioritise its passengers, and we have set out plans for closer partnerships between operators of track and train, including on the LNER and South Eastern networks.”
Overall, the railway review will focus on evaluating the implementation of a commercial model to provide better services, as well as assess the roles of all industry stakeholders in order to increase coordination.
Furthermore, the review will assess the current fare structure and recommend suitable adjustments to deliver better value for money.
The review panel is scheduled to submit its review next year, following which, the government will publish a white paper based on the recommendations.
The implementation of the reforms is expected to start from 2020.
