Railways Bill | TrackPolitics

Railways Bill

A Bill to require the Secretary of State to assume control of passenger rail franchises when they come up for renewal; and for connected purposes.

Originating House

House of Commons

Last Updated

13 May 2016

In Plain English

AI-generated

The Railways Bill would require the Secretary of State to take over control of passenger rail franchises when they come up for renewal. In effect, it would transfer management of those services from private operators to the government. The bill also covers related measures needed to support that shift.

Key Points

The Secretary of State would assume control of passenger rail franchises at renewal, rather than allowing a private operator to continue.
It changes the model of rail provision from private franchising to government-led management.
The bill includes provisions for connected purposes and related reforms to support the shift.
It would affect how rail franchises are procured, overseen and delivered.
The bill is currently at the 2nd reading in the House of Commons.

Progress

The bill is at the 2nd reading in the Commons. If it progresses, it would move to detailed examination in committee stage and then further readings.

Who is affected?

Passengers and regular rail usersRail industry workers (drivers, station and maintenance staff)Private rail franchise operators and their staffDepartment for Transport and other public bodies involved in rail policy and regulationLocal communities that rely on rail servicesTaxpayers/public budgets

Generated 21 February 2026

Updates & Documents

News (1)

News - Railways

1 Jan 1970

The 2015-16 session of Parliament has ended and this Bill will make no further progress.

This Bill was presented to Parliament on 29 June 2015. This is known as the first reading and there was no debate on the Bill at this stage.

Documents (1)

Bill 35 2015-16, as introduced

BillCommons

17 Dec 2015

Parliamentary Votes (0)

No recorded votes for this bill yet.