The Department for Transport has published the details of agreements between Westminster and the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales which will apply under Great British Railways.
It had not been clear how GBR would work with the two governments, which own their national train operators. Although GBR will run the main passenger railway in England when the last of the former franchises have been renationalised next year, its responsibilities for Transport for Wales Rail, ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper had not been clarified.
New memorandums of understanding agreed by transport secretary Heidi Alexander provide for joint control, although the Scottish version is only a ‘framework’ at this stage. Many decisions will involve the ministers of the devolved governments, who will have a ‘bigger say’ about how the railway is run for their communities.
She continued: ‘At its heart, this agreement is about improving passenger experience by aligning how both governments plan and manage rail services, including cross‑border travel.’
In Wales, information will be available for passengers in both English and Welsh, while in both countries decisions affecting passengers will be made with local input so that any problems are resolved more quickly.
GBR will also work with ScotRail and Transport for Wales to make multi-modal interchanges as efficient and easy to use as possible.
Cabinet secretary for transport and North Wales Ken Skates said: ‘This agreement outlines the strong partnership between our two governments to deliver for the people of Wales.
‘We have already seen the joint commitment to a generational investment in our railways and this agreement ensures even closer working as we deliver improved rail services.’
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