Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Great British Railways: Passenger Consultations

Thursday 20 November 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Chris Vince welcomed the extension of contactless payment at several stations in his constituency, praising its simplicity and value for passengers.
  • Jim Shannon highlighted that passengers prioritize price, punctuality, space, and comfort when using the railways.
  • The Minister assured that the Government is committed to improving the overall passenger experience and will centralize these priorities through the creation of a passenger watchdog.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Chris Vince Labour (Co-op) Harlow
Transport
Context

Keir Mather was asked about the steps being taken to ensure that Great British Railways holds consultations with passengers. Chris Vince welcomed the extension of contactless payment to stations in his constituency, highlighting its benefits for passengers.

Question

May I welcome the extension of contactless payment to Harlow Town, Harlow Mill and Roydon railway stations in my constituency? That is making travel simpler and ensuring the best value for passengers. How will the Minister ensure that GB Railways continues to ensure that passengers are at the heart of decision making? Will he personally join me in my campaign to ensure that there are less cancellations of trains to Roydon station in my constituency?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Keir Mather)

I am very pleased to hear that my hon. Friend’s constituents are benefiting from contactless payment, but he is right to urge us to go further in ensuring that GBR improves passenger experience and delivers on the priorities of the travelling public. We are committed to improving ticketing further through expanding pay-as-you-go beyond the stations at which it is already in use. Through the long-term rail strategy and its general duties, GBR will be incentivised to support innovation and deliver for passengers right across the country, including in Harlow.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Transport
Context

Jim Shannon raised issues such as price, punctuality, space, comfort, and safety that passengers look for when using the railways. He asked if these factors were central to the government’s obligation to passengers.

Question

I use the railways every Monday, Thursday and on other days in the week. The things that passengers look for, as well as those I talk to who come over here from Northern Ireland, are price, punctuality, space and comfort. Can the Minister assure us that those things are central to the Government’s obligation to the passenger? Let me add another factor. When it comes to safety, sometimes pedestrians stray on to the tracks, thereby holding up the trains. What is being done to ensure that security is taken into account?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Keir Mather)

The hon. Member is right to raise a number of issues that affect the experience of passengers on the railway. That experience is exactly what the passenger watchdog, which will be created through Great British Railways, is designed to protect. It will set minimum consumer standards that GBR and operators must meet as part of their licence conditions, but most importantly, that accountability will be public. The watchdog will publish reports and data on passenger experience and will be a statutory adviser to the Office of Rail and Road, which will carry out enforcement.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)