Access and Use Policy development
On November 5 2025, the Railways Bill was introduced to Parliament. The Bill will set the framework for Great British Railways (GBR) – a new, publicly owned company to oversee management of track and train. GBR will be the ‘directing mind’ for the network, able to take decisions with a whole-system view, optimising network use in a way that isn’t possible today.
As part of these reforms, the Department for Transport has asked Network Rail’s System Operator to develop a new Access and Use Policy (AUP), setting out how GBR will allocate capacity, set charges and manage performance.
Following publication on 1 December 2025, Network Rail and DfT will continue working with industry partners as the AUP develops, with a formal consultation planned for 2026 to help shape the final policy.
We drafted most of the Discussion Document before the Railways Bill, based on the approach set out in the Government’s consultation. Since Bill publication we’ve made minor updates to the Document. We now benefit from a clear legislative approach that will support the next phase of development and discussion.
GBR will use its AUP to support a rail network that works in the interests of passengers, freight customers and the wider industry. The aim is to bring greater transparency, consistency, and strategic alignment to decisions around capacity and pricing. This will ensure the railway delivers maximum value for passengers, freight customers, and the wider economy.
We’re delivering this work in close coordination with DfT. This will ensure policy alignment and a seamless approach to stakeholder engagement. This Discussion Document outlines the core principles of the AUP and how it could operate in practice.
Building on extensive collaboration with industry partners across passenger, freight, and open access sectors, this paper represents the next step in that dialogue by bringing together insight and feedback gathered to date. The discussion will continue as policy thinking evolves, ensuring shared understanding and co-ownership of the approach GBR will eventually adopt. Much of the content, and particularly the annexes, focus on the technical processes and conditions needed to provide clarity and confidence to industry partners. We developed this paper to support ongoing engagement and discussion with industry specialists as they explore how the new regime could work, balancing certainty with flexibility.
In the meantime, you can get in touch with the team developing the policy via our dedicated inbox: accessandusepolicy@networkrail.co.uk. The inbox will remain open until we begin drafting the policy next year.