Rail Sector Transformation Programme

Government Transformation and Service Delivery

Record date: 31 March 2026

Whole-life cost: Not disclosed
Published schedule: 01/07/2024 – Exempt under Section 22 - Information intended for future publication, The GMPP project is still at the planning stage (Pre-SOC or equivalent) and is not yet in a position to provide cost/schedule information
NISTA delivery confidence: RED
Senior responsible owner: Richard Goodman

What the project is for

The programme will enable the biggest overhaul of the rail sector in a generation. It will enable the establishment of GBR as a new ‘directing mind’ for the railway, unifying track and train under a single public body to deliver better services for passengers and freight customers, and better value for money for taxpayers.   GBR will have the tools and operational independence it needs to plan and run the rail system on a long-term basis to deliver for passengers. GBR will make long term capacity allocation, planning and investment decisions to give greater certainty to rail freight operators, open access, and the wider supply chain.   The legislation will establish a powerful new passenger watchdog to champion improvements in rail services for passengers. It will protect and advocate for passengers’ interests and rights, offer advice, address unresolved passenger complaints and independently monitor service performance reporting on its findings publicly and transparently.

Departmental delivery commentary

The Railways Bill will pave the way for the creation of Great British Railways (GBR), due to be set up later in 2027. The transfer of passenger services to public ownership – a key element of the reform programme – continues at pace, with Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR) services the most recent to switch in May this year.  The Bill is a key dependency and is currently in Parliament, therefore, it is not possible to predict, the exact scheduling and level of amendments it may still face as part of Lords and Commons scrutiny.   Combining these uncertain timescales with the complexity and challenges of key elements of what is the biggest transformation of the railways in a generation, means that the NISTA/SRO Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) rating remains RED as of the last two quarters (Q3/Q4) of 2025/26. This rating transparently reflects the level of uncertainty and dependencies and mitigates against optimism bias. However, significant progress continues to be made on all aspects of the reform programme and as a result we expect the delivery confidence to improve.  Most notably, work continues on a number of critical design and implementation decisions, alongside government approvals, which are required to deliver the reforms set out in the Bill and GBR itself. These decisions, when made, combined with Parliamentary progress are expected to provide greater clarity and stability across the programme.

Schedule

The GMPP project is still at the planning stage (Pre-SOC or equivalent) and is not yet in a position to provide cost/schedule information

Cost

The GMPP project is still at the planning stage (Pre-SOC or equivalent) and is not yet in a position to provide cost/schedule information

Benefits

The GMPP project is still at the planning stage (Pre-SOC or equivalent) and is not yet in a position to provide cost/schedule information