Andrew Grantham

The government has appointed Chair of Barclays UK plc Sir John Kingman as the first Chair of the future Great British Railways. Announcing the appointment on October 16, the Department for Transport said Kingman would begin his duties the same day, and play a critical role in shaping the design of the new organisation and driving industry readiness for the transition to GBR. Once GBR is formally established in 2027, he will lead ‘the third biggest public sector organisation in Britain’.

| 2026-10-12 If we want a competitive market where independent ticket sellers can continue to invest, innovate and give passengers greater choice, we need the underlying commercial systems to be fit for what is an increasingly digital industry, says Matthew Peake of online travel trade association Online Travel UK. Matthew Peake.

The Office of Rail & Road has rejected applications by Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway, FirstGroup’s Lumo NW and Avanti West Coast to launch passenger services from London Euston to Wrexham, Rochdale and Blackpool. The regulator said it had concluded that there is insufficient capacity on the West Coast Main Line, and adding more trains would be detrimental to performance.