Great British Railways is emerging – but details are still in short supply. Despite some of my misgivings, I’m cautiously optimistic
Last week’s heinous stabbing incident on the LNER train from Doncaster to London and the derailment at Shap on the Avanti service two days later showcased, in adversity, the very best of railway employees. The quick thinking and bravery of the on-board staff, and, of course, the Network Rail and LNER Control Rooms, in their swift response to the incident were formidable. So too, Avanti staff were reported to have acted rapidly, decisively and with real care towards customers.
The term‘ railway family’ unsurprisingly re-emerged in abundance following the incident. I have always been critical of this phrase – finding it used unsparingly by staff and managers to describe incidents they thought were handled well, but in reality, customers may beg to differ. I also find the term a bit too insular and exclusive of perceived outsiders. Anyway, on these occasions, everyone pulled together with resilience and decorum to help customers.
On the Monday after the LNER incident, I was out and about on their network and witnessed no shortage of managers, of all levels, on stations and trains, clearly reassuring customers and supporting staff during a time of anxiousness. Then, a few days later, class act David Horne, LNER’s managing director, appeared on LinkedIn in a video, acting with fitting circumspection and thanking everyone for their support and well wishes over the previous few days. By Wednesday, I was on and off Avanti services between Carlisle, Birmingham and London and witnessed managers working the trains, helping staff with trolleys, serving refreshments and assisting customers. All looked delighted to be doing this – the managers were very polished in their customer service, clearly enjoying themselves, and the staff they were helping seemed genuinely grateful and happy.
As my train made its way towards London Euston at the end of my travels on Wednesday night, I wistfully looked out of the window, feeling optimistic about the future of UK rail but still tinged with caution. In terms of employee engagement, it really could go either way. On one train last week, I bumped into an experienced old-timer from the industry – a 50-year, hugely respected servant of the industry and someone who’d hit the heights of seniority. I was touched to see, as we made our journey together, that on-board staff who’d not worked with him since the late 1980s still recognised and spoke to him as though it was yesterday. The railway has that bond.
However, in the same breath, my pal expressed scepticism about whether Great British Railways (GBR) in its intended form would ever genuinely come into being. He raised concerns that it would be kyboshed by the trade unions, who would never allow any sense of uniformity in terms and conditions.
Then, later in the week, the Railways Bill was submitted, and there was copious customary self-congratulatory chuntering on social media among those who may have had their paws on its preparation and much more from those – mainly suppliers – who were keen to be seen to be saying the right thing in the direction of a possible future paymaster. Once again, though, the press statements didn’t really tell us anything new, and it was a bit simplistic, with slightly naff, old-fashioned graphics, but then again, it’s down to personal taste, I guess! The previous system didn’t work: trains were late, ticketing was too complex, and that’s all going to change – that was the gist – but still no detail on how it would all be solved (i.e., the hard bit).
I still titter a little when I see Heidi Alexander talk about the great new world – the idea of GBR was something the Labour Party inherited from the previous government.
We could see employees galvanised about the future under a unified structure
Back to employees, and there are two possible scenarios for GBR in terms of culture and morale. Let’s take a glass-half-full approach first. We could genuinely see frontline colleagues and their bosses feel emancipated from a structure that created lines of demarcation between organisations, some duplication, and adversarial relationships. At the management level, development was stymied because roles had restricted remits – train operating company station managers weren’t really station managers, for instance, because they weren’t landlords and they couldn’t go near the track to deal with operational issues, in the same way they could have done in an integrated set-up. When my son was younger, we’d change trains at Clapham Junction on the way home from going to football and every time, in a vain attempt to gain his respect during his formative years, I’d proclaim proudly that I used to run this huge and busy station. But I didn’t; I only looked after Platforms 13-17 (the Southern side) and the platform staff, not the facility itself, the ticket office, or the operation of the railway. Thankfully, he just believed my exaggeration.
So, we could see employees galvanised around the future under a unified structure, one in which our employer isn’t motivated by share price or profits. With no franchises changing hands every few years, job security should be better, and quality leaders might hang around longer.
Let’s look at the glass-half-empty scenario, though. History shows that huge, nationwide monolithic, unionised state organisations suffer from bureaucracy, chaos, over-promotion of inward-thinking managers and poor morale. Royal Mail, the NHS and the police are three examples. We all know that the ‘railway family’ is, more so than most, actually has a long, undistinguished history of being dysfunctional, rift-ridden and on the brink of divorce. It only takes one poorly managed issue at the local level for the tinderbox to be lit and for wider strike action to take hold.
It will take a Herculean effort to inspire and engage employees who have a legacy of feeling downtrodden, be it by management or the environment in which they work, made worse by antisocial and criminal behaviour that threatens their safety on any given day. One trait of the humungous state-run organisations has been their bloated, inefficient nature. To an extent, this helped, in my view, nurture the ‘railway family’ over time. From my experience of British Rail – mainly hanging round stations, trainspotting until my career started at London Underground in 1993 – the organisation was over-staffed. Staff were bumping into each other, gossiping whilst at work, enjoying camaraderie in canteens and social clubs – it looked messy to customers, but employee morale just about held strong. This time round, there’ll be none of that to fall back on – frontline staffing levels have been pruned to the bone, the clubs and canteens have closed, whilst technology and automation have limited conversations between colleagues as part of their day-to-day tasks.
There seems to be this dogged refusal by top brass to involve frontline employees
The leadership conundrum will be interesting. So far, the vision for GBR has been somewhat ‘behind closed doors’ and we’re left to believe it might be unleashed as a big, impactful surprise. Or it could be that it just doesn’t exist, and we’ll all be disappointed? I’m positive that won’t be the case. If it’s genuinely a bold and ambitious vision, then that would suggest the anointed leaders will be inspiring, charismatic and create a culture that galvanises everyone, so they walk through walls for them.
I’m generally in favour of the level of consistency that GBR should bring to the industry. This is a great opportunity to create consistent, streamlined approaches to the delivery of customer service and other aspects relating to the running of the railway. This is much needed, but local nuances should be applied, and we should always be driven by market needs, rather than a desire to be seen to have created a ‘one size fits all’ approach. I pray that those in charge – and there are talented people in the team – will recognise this and that GBR doesn’t become a haven for those who love nothing better than inflicting never-to-be-read reams of standards and processes on employees and organisations just because they think that represents virtue. You can imagine prospective HR directors salivating at the prospect of making their first priority developing a boring, constraining and punitive performance appraisal process, instead of listening to employees and working out how they might help create an inspirational strategy.
This might seem obvious, and for this I make no apologies, but the key to employee morale is straightforward. Take an interest in your folk, particularly their lives outside work, be grounded and decent as a manager. Don’t talk down to them or act alongside them as though they are self-performing seals and, most importantly, make them feel involved. There will be employees who are happy to just come to work and do their job, but there will be countless folk who want to share their ideas, be part of working groups developing and implementing initiatives, and add variety to their otherwise repetitive roles. It always stuns me how there seems to be this dogged refusal by top brass to involve frontline employees in projects or seek their views. They are closest to the customers and what makes them and the local markets tick.
Another aspect that will make or break GBR is making people genuinely accountable. As a humble SME owner in the transport industry, my time is precious – I literally have to be doing something that adds value and ultimately generates revenue every waking hour. Even 13 years into running a small business, it still amazes me when I interact with transport organisations, how red tape and spans of authority stymie the effectiveness and potential of managers of all levels, making them less and less removed from the reality of the customers they are there to serve and providing excuses for inaction. So much time is wasted in meetings about meetings or reporting on the past four weeks or wicket-rolling colleagues because internal politics will always lead to individuals trying to thwart initiatives of others. It’s a trait of all massive organisations and it fills me with incredulity. GBR has a wonderful opportunity, from scratch, to create a culture and way of working that is hostile to unaccountability, unproductivity, and coasting.
One final word, and I’m sorry for sounding like a scratched record on this. My mate on the train, who I met and who worked in the pre-privatisation era and then throughout it, bemoaned, not unreasonably to me, that he had recently spoken to a list of hugely experienced peers of his generation, many of whom would give anything, even on an unpaid basis, to impart their experience in the new world. After all, there aren’t many who remember the last time the railway was set up in a way that is now planned for the future. Not one of them has been approached by GBR or anyone connected to it, yet. As I wrote in my recent article about the causes and aftermath of the Hatfield disaster 25 years ago, it’s so important that we learn from history. In any case, the ‘railway family’ should surely be all about inclusivity and taking everyone with them – that’s the recipe when it comes to engaging employees, customers and stakeholders alike. We’ve had a few years when many in the industry believed, not entirely without foundation, that the state-run train operators received preferential treatment and showed disdain toward those not in their gang – now is the time to change that and bring everyone together. GBR has its work cut out, but despite some of my misgivings, I’m cautiously optimistic.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Alex Warner has over 30 years’ experience in the transport sector, having held senior roles on a multi-modal basis across the sector. He is co-founder of transport technology business Lost Group and transport consultancy AJW Experience Group (which includes Great Scenic Journeys). He is also chair of West Midlands Grand Rail Collaboration.
This story appears inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport.
Which direction will GBR take us?
by Passenger Transport on Nov 14, 2025 • 2:30 pm No CommentsGreat British Railways is emerging – but details are still in short supply. Despite some of my misgivings, I’m cautiously optimistic
Last week’s heinous stabbing incident on the LNER train from Doncaster to London and the derailment at Shap on the Avanti service two days later showcased, in adversity, the very best of railway employees. The quick thinking and bravery of the on-board staff, and, of course, the Network Rail and LNER Control Rooms, in their swift response to the incident were formidable. So too, Avanti staff were reported to have acted rapidly, decisively and with real care towards customers.
The term‘ railway family’ unsurprisingly re-emerged in abundance following the incident. I have always been critical of this phrase – finding it used unsparingly by staff and managers to describe incidents they thought were handled well, but in reality, customers may beg to differ. I also find the term a bit too insular and exclusive of perceived outsiders. Anyway, on these occasions, everyone pulled together with resilience and decorum to help customers.
On the Monday after the LNER incident, I was out and about on their network and witnessed no shortage of managers, of all levels, on stations and trains, clearly reassuring customers and supporting staff during a time of anxiousness. Then, a few days later, class act David Horne, LNER’s managing director, appeared on LinkedIn in a video, acting with fitting circumspection and thanking everyone for their support and well wishes over the previous few days. By Wednesday, I was on and off Avanti services between Carlisle, Birmingham and London and witnessed managers working the trains, helping staff with trolleys, serving refreshments and assisting customers. All looked delighted to be doing this – the managers were very polished in their customer service, clearly enjoying themselves, and the staff they were helping seemed genuinely grateful and happy.
As my train made its way towards London Euston at the end of my travels on Wednesday night, I wistfully looked out of the window, feeling optimistic about the future of UK rail but still tinged with caution. In terms of employee engagement, it really could go either way. On one train last week, I bumped into an experienced old-timer from the industry – a 50-year, hugely respected servant of the industry and someone who’d hit the heights of seniority. I was touched to see, as we made our journey together, that on-board staff who’d not worked with him since the late 1980s still recognised and spoke to him as though it was yesterday. The railway has that bond.
However, in the same breath, my pal expressed scepticism about whether Great British Railways (GBR) in its intended form would ever genuinely come into being. He raised concerns that it would be kyboshed by the trade unions, who would never allow any sense of uniformity in terms and conditions.
Then, later in the week, the Railways Bill was submitted, and there was copious customary self-congratulatory chuntering on social media among those who may have had their paws on its preparation and much more from those – mainly suppliers – who were keen to be seen to be saying the right thing in the direction of a possible future paymaster. Once again, though, the press statements didn’t really tell us anything new, and it was a bit simplistic, with slightly naff, old-fashioned graphics, but then again, it’s down to personal taste, I guess! The previous system didn’t work: trains were late, ticketing was too complex, and that’s all going to change – that was the gist – but still no detail on how it would all be solved (i.e., the hard bit).
I still titter a little when I see Heidi Alexander talk about the great new world – the idea of GBR was something the Labour Party inherited from the previous government.
Back to employees, and there are two possible scenarios for GBR in terms of culture and morale. Let’s take a glass-half-full approach first. We could genuinely see frontline colleagues and their bosses feel emancipated from a structure that created lines of demarcation between organisations, some duplication, and adversarial relationships. At the management level, development was stymied because roles had restricted remits – train operating company station managers weren’t really station managers, for instance, because they weren’t landlords and they couldn’t go near the track to deal with operational issues, in the same way they could have done in an integrated set-up. When my son was younger, we’d change trains at Clapham Junction on the way home from going to football and every time, in a vain attempt to gain his respect during his formative years, I’d proclaim proudly that I used to run this huge and busy station. But I didn’t; I only looked after Platforms 13-17 (the Southern side) and the platform staff, not the facility itself, the ticket office, or the operation of the railway. Thankfully, he just believed my exaggeration.
So, we could see employees galvanised around the future under a unified structure, one in which our employer isn’t motivated by share price or profits. With no franchises changing hands every few years, job security should be better, and quality leaders might hang around longer.
Let’s look at the glass-half-empty scenario, though. History shows that huge, nationwide monolithic, unionised state organisations suffer from bureaucracy, chaos, over-promotion of inward-thinking managers and poor morale. Royal Mail, the NHS and the police are three examples. We all know that the ‘railway family’ is, more so than most, actually has a long, undistinguished history of being dysfunctional, rift-ridden and on the brink of divorce. It only takes one poorly managed issue at the local level for the tinderbox to be lit and for wider strike action to take hold.
It will take a Herculean effort to inspire and engage employees who have a legacy of feeling downtrodden, be it by management or the environment in which they work, made worse by antisocial and criminal behaviour that threatens their safety on any given day. One trait of the humungous state-run organisations has been their bloated, inefficient nature. To an extent, this helped, in my view, nurture the ‘railway family’ over time. From my experience of British Rail – mainly hanging round stations, trainspotting until my career started at London Underground in 1993 – the organisation was over-staffed. Staff were bumping into each other, gossiping whilst at work, enjoying camaraderie in canteens and social clubs – it looked messy to customers, but employee morale just about held strong. This time round, there’ll be none of that to fall back on – frontline staffing levels have been pruned to the bone, the clubs and canteens have closed, whilst technology and automation have limited conversations between colleagues as part of their day-to-day tasks.
The leadership conundrum will be interesting. So far, the vision for GBR has been somewhat ‘behind closed doors’ and we’re left to believe it might be unleashed as a big, impactful surprise. Or it could be that it just doesn’t exist, and we’ll all be disappointed? I’m positive that won’t be the case. If it’s genuinely a bold and ambitious vision, then that would suggest the anointed leaders will be inspiring, charismatic and create a culture that galvanises everyone, so they walk through walls for them.
I’m generally in favour of the level of consistency that GBR should bring to the industry. This is a great opportunity to create consistent, streamlined approaches to the delivery of customer service and other aspects relating to the running of the railway. This is much needed, but local nuances should be applied, and we should always be driven by market needs, rather than a desire to be seen to have created a ‘one size fits all’ approach. I pray that those in charge – and there are talented people in the team – will recognise this and that GBR doesn’t become a haven for those who love nothing better than inflicting never-to-be-read reams of standards and processes on employees and organisations just because they think that represents virtue. You can imagine prospective HR directors salivating at the prospect of making their first priority developing a boring, constraining and punitive performance appraisal process, instead of listening to employees and working out how they might help create an inspirational strategy.
This might seem obvious, and for this I make no apologies, but the key to employee morale is straightforward. Take an interest in your folk, particularly their lives outside work, be grounded and decent as a manager. Don’t talk down to them or act alongside them as though they are self-performing seals and, most importantly, make them feel involved. There will be employees who are happy to just come to work and do their job, but there will be countless folk who want to share their ideas, be part of working groups developing and implementing initiatives, and add variety to their otherwise repetitive roles. It always stuns me how there seems to be this dogged refusal by top brass to involve frontline employees in projects or seek their views. They are closest to the customers and what makes them and the local markets tick.
Another aspect that will make or break GBR is making people genuinely accountable. As a humble SME owner in the transport industry, my time is precious – I literally have to be doing something that adds value and ultimately generates revenue every waking hour. Even 13 years into running a small business, it still amazes me when I interact with transport organisations, how red tape and spans of authority stymie the effectiveness and potential of managers of all levels, making them less and less removed from the reality of the customers they are there to serve and providing excuses for inaction. So much time is wasted in meetings about meetings or reporting on the past four weeks or wicket-rolling colleagues because internal politics will always lead to individuals trying to thwart initiatives of others. It’s a trait of all massive organisations and it fills me with incredulity. GBR has a wonderful opportunity, from scratch, to create a culture and way of working that is hostile to unaccountability, unproductivity, and coasting.
One final word, and I’m sorry for sounding like a scratched record on this. My mate on the train, who I met and who worked in the pre-privatisation era and then throughout it, bemoaned, not unreasonably to me, that he had recently spoken to a list of hugely experienced peers of his generation, many of whom would give anything, even on an unpaid basis, to impart their experience in the new world. After all, there aren’t many who remember the last time the railway was set up in a way that is now planned for the future. Not one of them has been approached by GBR or anyone connected to it, yet. As I wrote in my recent article about the causes and aftermath of the Hatfield disaster 25 years ago, it’s so important that we learn from history. In any case, the ‘railway family’ should surely be all about inclusivity and taking everyone with them – that’s the recipe when it comes to engaging employees, customers and stakeholders alike. We’ve had a few years when many in the industry believed, not entirely without foundation, that the state-run train operators received preferential treatment and showed disdain toward those not in their gang – now is the time to change that and bring everyone together. GBR has its work cut out, but despite some of my misgivings, I’m cautiously optimistic.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Alex Warner has over 30 years’ experience in the transport sector, having held senior roles on a multi-modal basis across the sector. He is co-founder of transport technology business Lost Group and transport consultancy AJW Experience Group (which includes Great Scenic Journeys). He is also chair of West Midlands Grand Rail Collaboration.
This story appears inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport.
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