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Written question asked by Rebecca Smith (Conservative) on Tuesday, 13 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 15 January 2026. It was answered by Keir Mather (Labour) on Wednesday, 21 January 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Great British Railways: Retail Trade

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral evidence to the Transport Committee on Wednesday 7 January 2026 on the Railways Bill, how structural separation between retail functions and cross-industry management functions of Great British Railway will operate, including governance, accounting, decision-making and information-sharing arrangements; where this separation will be formally set out; and when she plans to publish further details.

Answer

To ensure fair and open competition when Great British Railways (GBR) has a dual role as a retailer and provider of wider retail industry management functions, the government has announced a robust package of safeguards. These are a Code of Practice, with the force of a GBR licence condition; separation of decision-making between GBR’s retailer and its cross-industry systems and services; and ORR monitoring and enforcement of GBR’s adherence with the Code of Practice.

The retail Code of Practice will incorporate clear requirements for how GBR should interact with all market participants. There will be full consultation on the Code of Practice, and further detail will be confirmed in due course.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
105428
Session
2024-26
Related items
Railways Bill
Wednesday, 7 January 2026
Parliamentary committees
House of Commons
Subjects
Retail trade Great British Railways
Legislation
Railways Bill 2024-26 to 2026-27
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk