UK rail’s recovery from the pandemic will be stalled if reforms are not carried out and effective competition among train companies is not introduced, a rail transportation body has suggested.
Britain’s rail routes need to be “revitalised” and more competition is the way to do it, said Rail Partners in its new report (pdf).
This can be achieved by allowing operators to run services on the same lines, Rail Partners added.
There are two types of train operators running passenger services in the country: franchised operators and open-access operators. Franchised operators, such as Chiltern Railways and Greater Anglia, hold contracts with the government to run services….