Why Rail Review must deliver accountability when Chris ‘Don’t Blame Me’ Grayling quits – The Yorkshire Post says

MOST PASSENGERS will concur with Keith Williams, the industrialist heading the Government’s long-awaited Rail Review, when it comes to issues like simpler ticketing, clearer communication and the day-to-day running of services.
By YP Comment
Published 16th Jul 2019, 19:03 BST
When will rail leaders be held accountable for their failings?When will rail leaders be held accountable for their failings?
When will rail leaders be held accountable for their failings?

Tom Richmond: The strange tale of Chris Grayling, the Macavity-like Transport Secretary on the run over the North, fares and East Coast deal

Rail Review boss Keith Williams tells Government to step back from the railway and give Northern leaders a chance to shape services

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Yet the problem, as Mr Williams is discovering, is that none of this is new. His ideas are common sense solutions which a succession of Transport Secretaries, train operators and railway leaders have failed to implement.

Keith Williams, who is undertaking the Government's Rail Review, has identified accountability as a key issue.Keith Williams, who is undertaking the Government's Rail Review, has identified accountability as a key issue.
Keith Williams, who is undertaking the Government's Rail Review, has identified accountability as a key issue.

The Yorkshire Post says: Chris Grayling runs out of excuses as Rail Review exposes his many failings

Time will tell if his report – and final recommendations – are embraced, and enacted, by the next government. A sensible Prime Minister would commit to implementing the findings in full, especially given the scale of disquiet in the North.

Don’t blame me – full text of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling’s letter to MPs on rail chaos

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But Mr Williams did touch on an important point when he met Northern Powerhouse leaders in Bradford. There needs to be much clearer accountability in the future. From Chris Grayling, the inept ‘don’t blame me’ Transport Secretary, to train firms making it deliberately hard for passengers to seek recompense for disruption and Network Rail ignoring major sporting and cultural events when choosing to shut the East Coast Main Line, the buck-passing must stop in whatever new structure he decides.

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