# Create Great British Railways and a passenger watchdog

> “The Railways Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, will lead to the establishment of Great British Railways (GBR), a new publicly-owned body and a new passenger watchdog.”
>
> — Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, Labour Party; Written ministerial statement, 13 October 2026

- **Status:** Promised
- **Status ladder:** Promised → In plan → Legislated → Funded → Delivering → Delivered
- **Policy area:** [Transport & economy](https://ledgergov.uk/promises/area/transport-and-economy)
- **Speaker:** [Heidi Alexander](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/heidi-alexander), Secretary of State for Transport
- **Party:** [Labour Party](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/labour)
- **Made on:** 13 October 2026
- **Where:** Written ministerial statement
- **Cost a year:** No costing published
- **Who it affects:** Rail passengers, freight customers and taxpayers
- **When:** Through the Railways Bill, now before Parliament (no date given)
- **Paid for by:** Not stated when it was announced
- **Quote source:** https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-10-13/HCWS369 (checked word for word on 16 October 2026; Open Parliament Licence v3.0)
- **Last updated:** 16 October 2026
- **Card:** https://ledgergov.uk/promise/uk-great-british-railways-2026

## Where it stands

The Railways Bill is "currently making its way through Parliament". The Transport Secretary says it will lead to Great British Railways, a new publicly owned body that unifies track and train and is accountable to passengers, freight customers and taxpayers, and to a new passenger watchdog. The statement gives no date. The card moves to legislated when the Bill becomes law.

## Timeline

- 13 October 2026, Promised: The Transport Secretary says the Railways Bill will establish Great British Railways and a new passenger watchdog

## About the cost

No cost has been published.

## Sources

- [Written ministerial statement HCWS369, 13 Oct 2026: Transfer of Chiltern Railways’ Services into Public Ownership](https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-10-13/HCWS369)

## Checks

- Checked automatically by AI Journalist, not yet verified by an editor.
- Checked by AI Journalist (automated) on 16 October 2026.

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