What will Govt’s rail reforms mean for Wales, Scotland and England’s regional authorities? MPs investigate
The Transport Committee will examine how Great British Railways (GBR) will interact with the devolved governments in Scotland and Wales, and how it will work with mayoral authorities in England to deliver local services.
Meeting details
The long-awaited Railways Bill, which will establish GBR, was introduced to Parliament on 5 November.
Across three panels, MPs will explore how GBR would work with decision makers in the devolved governments to organise cross-border services, and how Scottish and Welsh ministers would be consulted through changes to services or spending on infrastructure.
There will also be questions on the Scottish experience, where train services are managed in close conjunction with track infrastructure, and on lessons learned from Transport for Wales’s takeover of the Core Valley Lines from Network Rail in recent years.
In the third panel of this session, the cross-party Committee will question senior officials from regional authorities in Merseyside and the West Midlands. MPs will ask what lessons can be learnt from the devolution arrangements for rail in Merseyside and the West Midlands, and ask how regional leaders such as elected mayors will be able to hold Great British Railways to account.