Description
Great British Railways (GBR) is a planned state-owned railway company that will operate most rail infrastructure and the majority of passenger rail services in Great Britain, alongside devolved and open-access operators.
It will be established with the passing of the forthcoming Railways Bill, as part of the Starmer government's plans not to renew the contracts of private train operating companies. It will absorb the functions of Network Rail (thus it will own and manage most railway infrastructure – stations, track and signalling), the Rail Delivery Group, the DfT Operator, parts of the Department for Transport (DfT), and each of the passenger service franchises as their contracts expire.
In 2024, the Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, set up a Shadow Great British Railways to prepare for the organisation's formal establishment. The chair of the shadow body is Laura Shoaf.
The Railways Bill, the legislation to establish Great British Railways, was introduced to Parliament in November 2025.
The first GBR-branded trains were unveiled in May 2026, followed by the first branded station, Cambridge South, which will open in June.
