The Guardian view on Great British Railways: renationalisation can put passengers back in the driving seat | Editorial

A new ‘guiding mind’ for the industry will end the fragmentation that came with privatisation. But the public will want to see cheaper tickets tooGovernment guidance documents rarely feature soaring prose to fire the imagination. But a recent Department for Transport policy update contained one passage to lift the spirits of train users up and down the country. Setting out the future of Great British Railways (GBR), the public body that will oversee a renationalised and reintegrated rail network, its authors observe that “instead of having to navigate 14 separate train operators, passengers will once again simply be able to use ‘the railway’”.Last month, this journey back to the future began as the first renationalised South Western Railway (SWR) service departed Woking for London Waterloo, complete with union jack branding and the logo “Great British Railways: coming soon”. The remaining nine private franchises will be back in public ownership by 2027, by which time a new GBR headquarters will be up and running in Derby. The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, hailed the moment as a new dawn. There can be little doubt that a reset is badly needed. Fragmentation, in the name of competition, was the original sin of the destructive and ideological privatisation of the rail network in the 1990s. The wrongheaded decision to separate the management of track and trains led to confused accountability and buck-passing between train operators and Network Rail.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Comments

Business News

Government moves to drop Sheetz race case after Trump halts use of key civil rights tool

washington times

Comments

Business News

Government moves to drop Sheetz race case after Trump halts use of key civil rights tool

A British TV art expert who sold works to a suspected Hezbollah financier is sentenced to prison

Met singers' union gets 5% increase partly funded by $5M appropriation from New York state

US, Chinese officials to meet in London next week for new round of trade talks

How major US stock indexes fared Friday, 6/6/2025

Diet found to reduce dementia by as much as 25%

All the shops closing this weekend including iconic department store shutting after 124 years

Trump's trade talk delegation is set to face off with China's negotiators in London. Here is what's at stake.

An OpenAI exec says she was diagnosed with breast cancer and that ChatGPT has helped her navigate it

Simone Biles And Riley Gaines Clash Over Transgender Athletes In Women’s Sports

Marina Shows She’s The ‘Princess Of Power’ On New Album

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Clues And Answers For Saturday, June 7th

Lambda Legal, a nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ rights, exceeded fundraising goal by $105M

Southern California air regulators reject rules to phase out gas furnaces and water heaters

Billion-dollar battery plant pauses construction amid electric vehicle and tariff uncertainty

Planet-warming emissions dropped when companies had to report them. EPA wants to end that

DWP benefits you can't claim at State Pension age

What to do if someone blocks your driveway - your rights and options

Shoppers are running to B&M to buy 1960s retro lamp that’s 50p instead of £20

Howard Lutnick says bananas &mdash; a tropical fruit &mdash; should be grown in the US

Thunder’s Early Playoff Tests Now Provide Poise And Preparation In NBA Finals Against Pacers

Yulissa Breaks Silence After Shocking ‘Love Island USA’ Season 7 Exit

Cynthia Erivo Says ‘I Forgive You’ On New Album

‘Ballerina’ Losing Opening Weekend Box Office Match To ‘Lilo & Stitch’

UFC Cuts Hard-Luck Veteran Mired In Nasty Losing Streak

What Time Does The 2025 Tony Awards Start? Everything To Know

Top family names with unclaimed estates in the UK - check for yours on list

Strikes by airport workers could disrupt summer holidaymakers, union warns

Trump’s immigration, trade policies could cost tourism industry $12B: report

Shoppers rush to buy ‘bargain’ cabin suitcase with 5 star reviews from Dunelm

Peacocks launches huge clearance sale ahead of closing much-loved shop

Strikes by airport workers could disrupt summer holidaymakers, union warns

When Chinese manufacturing met Small Town, USA

What the Musk-Trump feud means for SpaceX

‘The Phoenician Scheme’ Reviews: Do Critics Buy Into Wes Anderson’s Comedy?

Republicans Like Health Savings Accounts

Today’s ‘Wordle’ #1449 Hints, Clues And Answer For Saturday, June 7th

Trump Has Options to Punish Musk Even if His Federal Contracts Continue

Jillian Sackler, Philanthropist Who Defended Husband’s Legacy, Dies at 84

Trump orders federal government to help bulk up U.S. drone industry

Hiring in the U.S. slows, though employers still added a solid 139,000 jobs in May

How Trump's pick for surgeon general uses her big online following to make money

A Michigan marijuana store will pay $205K to settle a workers' lawsuit over lost tips

Lululemon fans furious as tariffs threaten to drive prices even higher amid stock plunge

EuroMillions jackpot rolls over AGAIN as UK’s biggest ever prize at £208m goes unclaimed

DeepWho? DeepSeek rolled out even more powerful, cheap AI tech. If you missed it, you're not alone.

Who owns a acoustic piano these days? Across the country, less people are buying them

Trump Compares Russia-Ukraine War To Kids Brawling— What Does That Signal About The Fight's Future?

Former GOP Rep David Jolly, Who Joined FL Gov Race As A Dem, Explains Why He Won't Bring Up Trump

When Is Wes Anderson’s ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ Coming To Streaming?

Here’s How Many Times The White House Insisted Abrego Garcia Wouldn’t Be Brought Back To The U.S.

What To Watch This Weekend: New Shows And Movies To Stream On Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Apple TV And More

Jai Courtney On ‘Dangerous Animals’ And Missing Out On ‘Jack Reacher’

Keyshawn Davis Misses Weight By Wide Margin, What Happens Now?

Buyer With Ties to Chinese Communist Party Got V.I.P. Treatment at Trump Crypto Dinner

AMC Says It Will Show More Ads Before Movies

U.S., China set to meet on trade in London, Trump says

Southern California air regulators weigh a plan to phase out gas furnaces and water heaters

Greggs mania as legions of JAPANESE fans desperate to visit UK to try firm’s £1.30 sausage roll

Owner of Pret A Manger plans stock market flotation & may sell stake in business

Howard Lutnick says bananas — a tropical fruit — should be grown in the US