Arriva has published a series of proposals which it says are designed to improve the railways in the shorter term.
Its report ‘Accelerating the Government’s Ambition to Fix Britain’s Railways’ includes recommendations such as making more effective use of the existing network, rolling stock and other assets, making timetabling more flexible and responsive, and also allowing train operating companies to make decisions about timetables.
The report urges more Pay-As-You-Go ticketing and the introduction of a Friday peak saver ticket. It also calls for improving the skills of staff, so as ‘to break down barriers to opportunity’'
Arriva has already applied for an extension of its open access operator Grand Central’s track access rights to 2038 and is also proposing to acquire a new bi-mode fleet, but is set to lose its train operator contracts with the Department for Transport in the near future, as part of Labour’s renationalisation of the remaining former passenger franchises.
Arriva’s Chiltern Railways contract could end when its core expiry date is reached on 1 April next year, while CrossCountry is also set to be transferred to public ownership in October 2027. Apart from Grand Central, Arriva also runs Transport for London’s Overground concession. This is not affected by the government’s railway reforms, because TfL concessions are controlled by the Mayor of London.
Arriva UK Trains managing director David Brown said: ‘The last few years have been a challenging time for the British railway, but now is the time for optimistic, forward-looking change under a new Government. There is a real opportunity to marry long-term structural reform, which Labour has set out, with further short-term improvements for passengers and the taxpayer. Our proposals set out a series of crucial steps for the Government to help deliver on that promise, accelerate their ambition to fix Britain’s railways, deliver tangible change for passengers, and realise the railway’s potential as an engine of economic growth.’