Great British Railways: A platform not a controller

Great Britain’s national railways stand at a crossroads. For the first time in decades, we are moving to a model where one organisation could coordinate the backbone of transport across the country. 

This opportunity is formative. GBR represents our chance to reimagine how people move throughout the country but we must be realistic about what GBR can deliver and how quickly. 

Beyond Fixed Routes 

Currently, train operators have allocated and fixed routes with clear boundaries of responsibility. This creates artificial barriers in the passenger journey. 

A national system could transform this. I envision operators sharing responsibility and taking care of customers throughout their entire journey, not just their segment of it. 

When problems arise elsewhere in the network, passengers could be rerouted or supported through their journeys with consistency. Support would remain the same end-to-end, creating continuity in the passenger experience. 

The Orchestration Layer 

GBR's potential extends far beyond just rail. I believe its most powerful role would be as a developer of a standard or orchestration layer for all types of transport to connect with. 

As a national organisation with connections across various modes throughout the country, GBR could integrate ground-based journeys and connections to the sea and air. The customer experience would remain consistent from home to the final destination. 

This vision faces significant structural challenges. The organisation will need time to develop its internal structure and relationships before focusing outward. 

Unlike railways, there are no commanding national organisations in charge of other transport modes. This means GBR must engage with numerous local and regional authorities, and private operators, to establish standards and gain buy-in from all stakeholders. 

Data as Foundation 

The foundation of any successful integration is an agreed format for talking about the service provided, for the creation of integrated journeys, a key tool will be to align on standardisation of formats for data about service offerings, pricing, and availability. This applies to all transport types from micro-mobility to airports, ferry services, and beyond. 

When data feeds can flow between all organisations, we create the transparency needed to build comprehensive service offerings. 

GBR could then either capitalise on these links directly or facilitate making data available for external developers to build and stitch journeys together at the consumer level. 

I believe both approaches can happen in parallel. If the organisation is required to maintain open data for third parties, this creates healthy competition that keeps pressure on GBR to develop and maintain high-quality internal offerings.

The potential economic benefits are enormous. More people would travel by public transport, reducing infrastructure costs for roads and private vehicles. The sustainability and efficiency gains have significant economic value. 

Building Trust First 

GBR needs to develop confidence with the user base before promising a brighter future. Right now, I’d say most people simply want enough trains running, on time, and at reasonable prices. 

Once reliability is established through internal structural changes and modernisation, the organisation can aspire to offer new transport possibilities. 

The timeline is longer than many realise. Train operators are only slowly becoming public organisations, and legislation hasn't yet gone to Parliament to create GBR. 

We face a long transition period toward a single national organisation. Even at completion, it will primarily cover English railways with limited services into Wales and Scotland but GBR’s work along the way to establish data flows and stakeholder relationships (for examples with airports, ferry operators, and micro-mobility services) will pay off. 

Technology as Enabler 

Technology will play crucial roles in this transition. Data quality will improve. AI agents can help passengers navigate their journeys without relying on outdated legacy systems. 

With a national remit, there are opportunities for AI-based timetabling that responds to demand or disruption. Trains could take alternative routes or increase frequency for short periods when needed. 

For rural areas, predictive analytics could coordinate last-mile transport. Train loading and ticketing data could help ensure sufficient transport is ready when passengers arrive at rural stations, reducing reliance on private cars. 

The Structural Challenge 

GBR's fundamental limitation is in its name: Great British Railways. It covers railways but doesn't necessarily have power over feeder or parallel modes. 

Success relies on stakeholder engagement and relationships unless a higher authority is charged with delivering an integrated transport plan. Only then would we have the structure necessary to legally and structurally coordinate a national transport scheme. 

Economic models present another challenge. If driverless cars or micro-mobility services prioritise commercial profit, their incentives differ from providing reliable end-to-end passenger transport, which requires redundancy to maintain service. 

The current railway problem, which GBR aims to solve, is that operators are only responsible for their own services. If GBR only controls rail, who takes responsibility when integrated transport fails through misconnections or breakdowns in the chain? 

I believe there's room for a framework of integration across networks. The data flowing from each mode and the requirements to share it are essential.

A Framework for Integration 

I believe there's room for a framework of integration across networks. The data flowing from each mode and the requirements to share it are essential. The UK's Data bill may support this. 

Nationally, we need a transport panel or body with the power to coordinate integrated transport across the country. If left to individual modes operating in silos, each might deliver excellent service within its domain but fail at integration. 

We must also consider international connections. Aviation, for example, presents a challenge as the sector doesn't follow the same disruption protocols as public transport.

The Mobility as a Service Future 

Looking ahead 10-15 years, I see GBR providing reliable services as the backbone of national transport. But the passenger experience would transform. 

In this vision, customers have a mobility provider of choice that becomes their primary point of contact for all travel. Through Mobility as a Service (MaaS), I would interact only with my chosen provider, building trust and a direct relationship. 

They would arrange my travel, suggesting trains, driverless cars, ferries, or bikes based on my known preferences. This preference-based approach differs significantly from GBR's current plans for a direct central ticketing system. 

MaaS represents a significant opportunity, efficiently joining different transport modes to facilitate a shift from private vehicles to sustainable options Mobility as a Service research. 

The next hurdle will be removing the ‘ticket’ as the permit to be on the network: looking towards account-based travel nationally, rather than expecting passengers to interact with individual train operators. 

How Great British Rail Can Build Public Support 

Maintaining public support during this transition requires parallel approaches. First, service delivery must remain reliable. Only then can the organisation look to transform its relationship with the wider public to gain buy-in for its transformational ambitions. Equally important is establishing two-way conversation with rail users. The passenger should feel empowered and have a role in GBR's future: this isn't just about operators delivering services to passive customers. It's about creating a partnership where passengers help shape the evolution of our national transport backbone. 

Emotive arguments have a role here in reminding people what railways offer: access to opportunities, connections with friends and family, holiday travel etc. These emotional elements build rapport with customers who may in future interact digitally with the mobility system and therefore have no direct relationship with the company running the trains. 

Realistic Expectations 

The single most important thing GBR needs to get right in its early stages is being realistic about what it can offer and how quickly. 

The path to integrated transport through GBR will be long and complex but by setting realistic expectations, building on early successes, and keeping passengers at the centre of the conversation, we can create a truly connected transport future for Britain.