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The Williams Rail Review
A root and branch review of Britain’s railway, independently chaired by Keith Williams.
The Williams Rail Review was established in September 2018 to look at the structure of the whole rail industry and the way passenger rail services are delivered. The review will make recommendations for reform that prioritise passengers’ and taxpayers’ interests.
The review’s findings and recommendations will be published in a government white paper in autumn 2019. Reform will begin in 2020.
It is led by independent chair, Keith Williams. Keith is deputy chairman of the John Lewis Partnership and former chief executive of British Airways. Keith is supported by a panel of experts from across the country with expertise in rail, freight, business and passenger interests.
Read the terms of reference and information about the members of the expert challenge panel.
Call for evidence
We are seeking your views on the problems facing the railway, and how they might be solved. The call for evidence will remain open until late spring 2019.
Evidence papers
At each stage of the review, we will seek to understand the full range of perspectives and options in pursuit of the right answers. To support this engagement we are publishing a series of evidence papers.
- Williams Rail Review call for evidence: objectives and assessment criteria
- The user experience of the railway in Great Britain: an evidence paper
- Current railway models (Great Britain and overseas): an evidence paper
- The rail sector in numbers
- The role of the railway in Great Britain: an evidence paper
Announcements
Check this page or follow our Twitter account for the latest news about the Rail Review.
Speeches
Published 25 February 2019
Last updated 19 March 2019 + show all updates
Last updated 19 March 2019 + show all updates
- Evidence papers and Accelerate Rail 2019 speech added.
- First published.