- 200 years ago, the world’s first train ran between Stockton and Darlington – a private initiative that showed how bold ideas could transform mobility and society.
- As the UK celebrates this anniversary, the government plans to centralise the system under Great British Railways (GBR).
- But with no clear KPIs, untested promises of savings, and fares set to rise by a whopping 5.8% next March, a giant new public body risks delivering less choice and little innovation.
There is another path. Evidence from across Europe shows that when regions and cities design their own rail packages and competitively tender services, passengers benefit: lower fares, better quality, and reduced taxpayer costs.
Long-distance Open Access operators such as Grand Central, Lumo, Hull Trains, Italo (Italy) and RegioJet (Czech Republic) have proven the model:
- Recovering faster after the pandemic,
- Delivering consistently high customer satisfaction,
- Ensuring hundreds of millions of pounds in private investment.
ALLRAIL’s John Thomas says: “If Britain wants its next 200 years of rail to be as transformative as the first, it must let regions choose the mix of operators that best serves their communities – and give Open Access the room to grow”.
Introducing ALLRAIL: Our non-profit association represents independent passenger rail companies and is active representing members in the UK.
We push for a growing, customer-focused passenger rail sector that is less reliant on the taxpayer.
If you want more details on how we propose doing this, please contact our Policy Director,
John Thomas:
Phone: +44(0) 7979 851461
Email: john.thomas@allrail.org