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Britain opens consultation on Great British Railways licence

KROV newsroom

13 Nov 2026, 10:18 am IST1 min read

DiscussionThe story behind the news.

Illustrated train, converging tracks and blank papers

The UK Department for Transport opened a consultation on 12 November on the draft operating licence for Great British Railways. It will take responses until 21 January 2027. The proposed licence would give the independent Office of Rail and Road a basis to monitor and enforce obligations on the new public body that is intended to bring track and train operations together.

The department expects to finalise and grant the licence when Great British Railways takes responsibility for operating the railway, currently planned for autumn 2027. It says the licence would operate alongside other measures, including the Railways Bill and long-term rail strategy.

The department says other operators, including freight companies and operators with open access to the network, would continue to hold their own licences under the regulator’s oversight.

Cover image is an AI-generated editorial illustration.

Sources and credits

Credit: UK Department for Transport. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Summarised/translated by KROV · Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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