Labour hits back at concerns rail nationalisation could compromise safety
The government has pushed back against concerns that the state-owned body responsible for rail nationalisation is not equipped to handle the task.
Dominic Booth, chief executive of East Midlands and Greater Anglia operator TransportUK, warned on Friday that a rushed nationalisation process could compromise passenger safety, given the current condition of the government-run operator of last resort, known as DOHL.
The boss of one of Britain’s biggest transport firms said he had written to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to say the DOHL is not yet ready to take on “significant additional responsibilities” under the new reforms.
“Not only does it have clear resourcing challenges with just 12 full-time staff at present, but its record of handling the operators it already controls is woeful. It must significantly ramp up its capacity to ensure effective delivery,” Booth argued.
The DOHL currently runs the four nationalised rail companies: East Coast Main Line, Northern Rail, Southeastern and Transpennine Express.
Responding to the claims, a Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson told City AM the DOHL had a “proven record of swiftly and safely bringing services into public ownership” and that it had plans to double its capacity by the end of the year.
“The Department is working hand-in-hand with DOHL to ensure the remaining services are seamlessly brought into public ownership, delivering the efficient, reliable rail network passengers deserve,” the spokesperson added.
Ministers are expected to unveil a detailed timetable for nationalisation once the Passenger Rail Services (Public Ownership) Bill receives Royal assent. That is expected to come this week, after members of the House of Lords voted to pass the bill on Wednesday, effectively granting Keir Starmer’s government its first major public service reform since taking power.
While Transport Secretary Louise Haigh is pushing forward with plans for a single ‘guiding mind’, known as Great British Railways (GBR), it is unlikely it will launch for several more years, leaving the DOHL to handle any looming changes.
Booth has demanded John Larkinson, the ORR’s chief executive, conduct a “formal review” of the government-owned operator’s readiness.
“As GBR is still being set up, hasty and ill-planned changes could compromise safety and service reliability,” Booth said.
“An orderly, safety-first approach, which requires the DOHL to have first addressed its capacity and readiness challenges, will help ensure that the new system is sustainable and delivers results in the long term.”
An ORR spokesperson said: “All train companies are required to have a safety certificate, and our role as rail regulator is to ensure each train company has sufficient safety capability to be awarded that safety certificate.”