Plans for the government’s flagship rail reform body, Great British Railways (GBR), risk reviving the failings of the past if urgent changes aren’t made, a leading think tank has warned.

A new report from the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) cautions that the structure of GBR could stifle innovation, reduce accountability, and discourage competition, particularly from open access operators that have succeeded in driving down fares and improving service.

The proposals, first set out in the Williams-Shapps ‘plan for rail’, would see GBR absorb Network Rail and take over oversight of most of the railway in England.

But CPS rail fellow Tony Lodge said GBR risks becoming “too centralised and too powerful”, without clear regulatory checks.

“No organisation should mark its own homework”

Key among the report’s concerns is the potential watering down of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

The government has proposed integrating parts of the ORR into GBR – a move CPS warns would remove crucial independent scrutiny of performance, safety, and investment.

“No organisation should be allowed to mark its own homework”, the report warned. “GBR should not be its own regulator.”

The think tank also urged ministers to expand open access operations – private rail firms that run outside franchising agreements – which it says have delivered lower fares and better services on routes like London to Hull and Edinburgh.

Countries like Italy and Sweden have used a similar model to reduce fares by up to 60 per cent and boost passenger numbers.

The CPS wants 10 per cent of long-distance routes to be served by open access operators by 2030.