Lord Hendy has responded to Members of Parliament regarding the rail reform consultation, assuring them that accessibility, freight, and the environment remain key priorities for the government.

 

The Rail Minister addressed concerns that the government was downplaying its commitments in these areas, stating such suggestions were "incorrect" in a letter to Ruth Cadbury, Chair of the Transport Select Committee.

 

Cadbury had written to Hendy on behalf of the committee in March, seeking clarification on whether statutory duties for accessibility, freight, and the environment would be included in Great British Railway's (GBR) licence.

 

"These remain key priorities for the government, and we have consistently reinforced our commitment to these important areas, whether in our manifesto, as part of 'Getting Britain Moving', or in parliamentary debates. We have also made it clear in the consultation that accessibility is one of our six priorities for the railway," Hendy wrote.

 

He further stated, "I want to be clear that nothing has been ruled out. We are consulting openly on the new regulatory framework, including the duties, functions, and requirements that will be applied to GBR."

 

Hendy emphasised that the consultation makes it "clear that accessibility will be central to GBR," with requirements enforced through either licence conditions or statutory duties. "That includes requirements relating to accessibility and engaging accessibility stakeholders," he added.

 

The eight-week consultation on rail reform closed on April 15th.

 

Hendy acknowledged that the consultation timeframe might have been "unwelcome for some" but explained, "Passengers, especially those with disabilities, have waited far too long to see the improvements in the railway that they rightly expect and deserve. Given the need to strike the right balance between getting the views of interested stakeholders and delivering improvements at pace, we feel that 8 weeks is the appropriate length of time for this consultation."

 

Regarding freight, the minister said, "We are also conscious that the railway is critical in improving wider environmental outcomes, and we want GBR's future role to reflect that. We are keen to get the mechanisms right for achieving these aims and will set out our plans more fully once the consultation has closed."

 

---

Source (1)