No excuse for Williams Review delay as rail fare hike confirmed – The Yorkshire Post says

As prices have gone up, the quality and reliability of services has deteriorated markedly – culminating with the disastrous timetable changes of May 2018 and subsequent mishaps.

And while Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is refusing to accept ‘second best’ – a welcome contrast to his predecessor Chris Grayling – uncertainty over future passenger numbers is no excuse for delaying long-overdue reforms.

A case in point is the much-vaunted Rail Review being overseen by former British Airways boss Keith Williams which – just like so many trains – is long-overdue.

Originally due to be published in “Autumn 2019” according to the Gov.uk website, its delays can be attributed, in part, to last year’s election, the pre-emptive action by Mr Shapps to re-nationalise the failed Northern franchise and then the Covid-19 pandemic. But key elements of the so-called Williams review – like “improved reliability”, “clear accountability” and provision of “a railway that is able to offer good value fares” – will become just as pressing as the country returns to normal.

And having made it an issue of trust – Mr Shapps has made it plain that he intends to honour the findings – the Cabinet minister now needs to apply some of his renowned urgency, amid speculation about the DfT’s intentions, so there’s never a repeat of the scandalous situation two years ago when Mr Grayling said he didn’t run the trains while Network Rail and the operators blamed each other.

If Ministers are to justify future fare rises to boost investment, these must go hand-in-hand with improvements to reliability and accountability, starting with the Williams review before it becomes as late as many of Yorkshire’s trains. Over to you, Mr Shapps.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

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James Mitchinson

Editor