A ‘Manifesto for Rail’ has been launched by Rail Partners that sets out a five-point plan for politicians to create a thriving railway that works for both customers and taxpayers.

The ‘Manifesto for Rail’ has been published ahead of the 2024 George Bradshaw Address ‘election special’, when both main parties will set out their party’s vision for the railway before the general election.

To maximise the economic, social, and environmental benefits of rail, the manifesto calls for a ‘best of both worlds’ approach to rail reform by bringing together private sector expertise with the need for a single public point of accountability.

The manifesto recognises that the railway is not currently performing as it should be, and urges politicians to take the decisions that will attract customers back to rail, which in turn will restore hundreds of millions of pounds in revenue lost since Covid.

Underpinned by research in Rail Partners’ Track to Growth report, competition between train companies in the UK and Europe is shown to contribute to increasing passenger numbers, better services, and a lower cost to the taxpayer.

The five points of the plan are:

Focus the railway on the customer to balance the books by giving operators the freedom to use their commercial expertise, and respond to customers by revising the contractual model post-Covid. Commercial decisions should be taken out of Whitehall and returned to rail operators.

Allow operators to compete in connecting communities to attract customers on more long-distance routes, such as open access operations that run on gaps in the existing timetable.

With no direct cost to the taxpayer often on underserved routes, they encourage competition with road and air, leading to lower fares and innovation.

Overhaul the fare structure so that customers get the best value for their journey. Create a system that is easy to understand and fit for purpose in a digital age by introducing new ways to pay.

This includes better availability of digital tickets that cover more journey types, and introducing more tap-in-tap-out systems in urban areas.

Prioritise moving freight from roads onto rail, which will result in less congested roads and cleaner air. Make rail freight the best option by investing in infrastructure and creating financial incentives for customers to choose rail for freight transport.

Create a new body to oversee the railways that is accountable to the public so that railway leaders can get on with running the railway to provide the best outcome for customers. The new body would be a single point of accountability to ensure decision-making focuses on passengers and freight customers.

Andy Bagnall, Chief Executive of Rail Partners, said: “Our Manifesto for Rail is a five-point plan, backed by train companies, to get the railways delivering their full potential for Britain again. It gives whoever forms the next government a clear set of priorities to deliver reform and put the railways back on track to growth. The public is not that interested in how our railways are structured or organised, they just want to have trains that run on time and fares that offer them the best value for their journey.

“There doesn’t have to be a binary choice between a railway monopoly in public hands, and one that delivers competition and innovation by harnessing the commercial expertise of private sector operators. We need the ‘best of both worlds’, which means focusing the system outwards on passengers and freight customers by empowering operators to meet their needs, and creating a single accountable body so the public knows who is in charge.”