Better times - and better trains - lie ahead for Britain, writes Heidi Alexander

A story of delayed services and spiralling costs. A story of commuters squeezed sardine-like on rush hour services. A story of passengers and taxpayers paying more and more but getting less and less.

But this Government is writing a new chapter for rail. And my message to passengers is simple. The days of you being at the mercy of poor reliability, confusing fares, and a railway not run in your interest are numbered. Better times and better trains lie ahead.

Now, I know I’m joining a long line of politicians who’ve promised to fix our railways. I’m sure my predecessors meant well, but they were always destined to fail.

Because if you look at the railway today, you’d struggle to design something more resistant to change, improvement or innovation.

It’s a Frankenstein’s monster. A 30-year experiment that clumsily cobbled together dozens of organisations: each with their own incentives, no common sense of purpose, and all ready to point the finger when things go wrong.

Nothing short of root-and-branch reform will do. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.

It starts with joining up a fractured industry. Under new laws, we’ve brought three additional services into public ownership– with more to follow. It’s a step closer to a simpler railway that puts passengers before profit. And it allows us to save taxpayers up to £150 million in management fees that previously went to private companies.

But this is just the first step. The industry has long needed someone in charge. Someone to coordinate the entire system. Someone who’s frankly obsessed with passengers and little else. That’s why we need Great British Railways.

So whether it’s new trains or timetable changes, setting fares or upgrading the track – you name it, GBR will run it. It will be one railway, one organisation, with one mission – to improve train services across the country.

But what will this look like for passengers?

Take fares, which we’ve frozen for the first time in 30 years. It means every passenger will keep more of their hard-earned cash, with some saving hundreds of pounds a year.

But we’re going further. GBR will drag the current complex fares system into the 21st century.

A new GBR website and app will allow passengers to buy tickets, check train times, and access support all in one place. No booking fees, no confusion – just simple fares offering the best value for money.

Secondly, a new passenger watchdog will be a strong independent voice for rail customers.

It means if your train is regularly delayed, if you receive shoddy customer service, if you face accessibility issues – the new watchdog will have your back.

Finally, we’ll increase efficiency and reduce costs.

We’ll wave goodbye to armies of lawyers arguing over whose fault a delay is; whose responsibility it is to fix a broken light bulb; and who should clear leaves off the line. Make no mistake, this carousel of blame will end.

Under GBR, one person in each region will be accountable for their part of the railway – track and train. They’ll be able to knock heads together to fix problems and put passengers first.

And you’ll be pleased to know we’re not going back to the days of British Rail and soggy sandwiches.

GBR must be rooted in the communities it serves. That means working with Mayors to ensure services and stations reflect local transport needs.

Above all, I want GBR to be a badge of quality.

It will be a world-class public organisation, synonymous with high performance and quality public service. Because 200 years after the first rail passenger services ran in this country, I say it’s high time we restored some national pride in the industry we gifted to the world.

Of course, reform on this scale will take time. But that’s not stopping us from driving improvements now.

The legislation to create GBR is going through parliament. We’ve expanded Pay As You Go ticketing in the South East. Average cancellation rates on many publicly owned services, such as Southeastern, are amongst the lowest in the country. Things are getting better.

But we must get the basics right. Trains that turn up on time, including on a Sunday. Comfortable seats with decent Wi-Fi. And when things go wrong, an industry that makes our lives easier by putting it right.

That’s the goal. A railway run by the public, for the public. It’s what Britain deserves. And it’s what we will deliver.

____________________

Heidi Alexander is the Secretary of State for Transport.

LBC Opinion provides a platform for diverse opinions on current affairs and matters of public interest.

The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official LBC position.

To contact us email opinion@lbc.co.uk