Great British Railways rolling stock and infrastructure strategy

I am pleased to inform the House of the joint publication by my department and DfT Operator Limited (DFTO), the government’s rail owning group, of Great British Railways’ rolling stock and infrastructure strategy (the strategy) on 28 September 2026. Since it was published during conference recess, I am notifying the House at the earliest opportunity today.

The strategy establishes a long-term framework for how Great British Railways will plan and deliver rolling stock and the infrastructure that supports it. Through integrated decision-making, clearer priorities and a more coordinated pipeline of activity, it will help secure better outcomes for passengers and taxpayers while giving the rail supply chain greater confidence to invest, innovate and create skilled jobs across Great Britain.

The strategy sets out a new, whole-system approach to decisions about passenger trains and their supporting infrastructure, which is made possible by the creation of Great British Railways and the transition to a publicly owned passenger railway.

By bringing decisions about trains, infrastructure, depots and maintenance together under a single directing mind, Great British Railways will be able to plan over the long term and deliver better outcomes for passengers, taxpayers and the rail supply chain.

The strategy puts passengers at the centre of a modern railway. It sets a clear direction for more consistent fleet specifications that support a better passenger experience and improve train reliability. Specifically, future train procurements will be structured around a smaller number of nationally defined ‘fleet families’, with more consistent levels of compatibility and capability across the network, while retaining flexibility to meet the needs of different markets and communities.