The Railways Bill would implement parts of the government’s plan to nationalise the railways, which was a manifesto commitment. It would create Great British Railways, a new publicly owned body that would be a “directing mind” for the railways, bringing “track and train together”. It would also give new powers to the Passengers’ Council and require the government to publish a long-term strategy for rail, among other things.
The Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill [HL] is a government bill focused on supporting the aviation industry and related consumer rights.
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This briefing explores what announcements the government could make in the King’s Speech on 13 May 2026 about transport.
In Focus
The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (Extension to Maritime Activities) Order 2026 would expand the UK’s emissions trading scheme to include the domestic maritime sector. The government states this supports its climate change and net zero policies. However, concern has been expressed by some about the potential financial impact on the industry and a possible increased impact on Northern Ireland compared with other areas of Great Britain.
Research Briefing
The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill is a government bill. It was introduced in the House of Lords on 20 October 2025 and is due to receive its second reading on 20 November 2025. The bill would introduce a revenue certainty mechanism to support the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the UK. It would do this by designating a counterparty (a company wholly owned by the government) to engage in contracts with SAF producers to guarantee the price of the sale of eligible SAF. The government has said that SAF is one of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation, as SAF is a ‘drop-in fuel’ that does not require modifications to existing aircraft. Current supply of SAF is limited. The government has claimed the bill would support SAF production in the UK by providing revenue certainty and thereby reducing risk to investors in SAF production facilities. There was broad cross-party support for the bill during its House of Commons stages.
In Focus
Reform of the railways is a key government policy; it was part of the Labour Party’s 2024 election manifesto and was set out in further detail in ‘Getting Britain moving: Labour’s plan to fix Britain’s railways’, published in April 2024. This briefing looks at the government’s plans for changes to the ownership and organisation of the railways.
In Focus
Highlighting the human and economic costs of accidents, and rising rates of accidental deaths in the UK, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has called for the government to create a national accident prevention strategy. RoSPA argues that currently, responsibility for accident prevention is too fragmented. The government has not yet commented on this proposal.
Research Briefing
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill would make changes to the system for approving major infrastructure projects, planning committees and nature recovery. It would also make changes to electricity and transport infrastructure processes, development corporations, spatial development strategies, and compulsory purchase. The government intends the bill to help grow the economy by enabling important infrastructure and homes to be built more quickly. Some parts of the bill, particularly those related to nature recovery, have attracted criticism from opposition parties and external bodies.
In Focus
The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is a pan-European satellite navigation system that augments global satellite systems, improving their accuracy and making them suitable for safety-critical applications such as flying aircraft or navigating ships through narrow channels. As a result of its departure from the European Union, the UK no longer participates in the EGNOS programme. Some stakeholders have called for the UK to reinstate the EGNOS system, particularly whilst a UK alternative is developed.
In Focus
Drivers report being dazzled by increasingly bright headlights from oncoming vehicles. This briefing assesses what we know so far about the potential causes and impacts.
In Focus
Open access operators are independent train operators that run passenger rail services on the national network, often in competition with services provided by franchised operators. The government is currently reforming the railway, bringing train operations into public ownership and planning to establish a single body, Great British Railways, to manage the network and deliver passenger services. Concerns have been raised about what this might mean for open access operators.
Research Briefing
The Bus Services (No. 2) Bill is a government bill scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 8 January 2025. It is intended to make it easier for local transport authorities to franchise bus services in their area. It also includes measures on bus data, enforcement powers, accessibility of bus stops, safeguarding checks and training for bus drivers and zero-emissions buses.
In Focus
Rural areas and communities face a number of challenges compared to urban areas. These include transport difficulties, less choice over services, education and employment, and poor broadband or mobile phone coverage. Some surveys have suggested that many people, particularly younger people, are considering leaving rural communities as a result. This briefing summarises some of these challenges and the government policies seeking to address them.
Research Briefing
Bringing passenger railway services into public ownership was a commitment in the Labour Party’s manifesto ahead of the 2024 general election. The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill would implement this policy. It would remove the existing presumption that passenger railway service contracts are awarded to private companies. Instead, it would require the government to award contracts to publicly owned companies when existing ones expire.
In Focus
Ahead of a debate in the House of Lords on the report of the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee on electrical vehicles (EVs), this briefing summarises the recommendations of the report, the response to the report by the previous Conservative government, and the EVs policy of the current Labour government.
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