Great British Railways: Yorkshire leaders criticise rail overhaul delay

York is among six locations shortlisted to become home to the headquarters of Great British Railways

A delay to the planned major overhaul of how Britain's railways are managed has been criticised by political leaders in North and South Yorkshire.

Plans for Great British Railways (GBR) will not now go before Parliament until at least May, Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has confirmed.

Six cities and towns, including York and Doncaster, have been shortlisted as the site for GBR's headquarters.

York Council boss Keith Aspden said the government "must not abandon" GBR.

Meanwhile, Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire's Labour Mayor, said he was "shocked the government would ask us to invest so much time, effort and energy investing in a bid for Great British Railways, but then simply pull the project with no notice, warning or communication".

The state-owned body was promised under Boris Johnson to bring simpler fares and modern services to the rails.

It would set timetables and prices, sell tickets in England and manage rail infrastructure as well as issuing contracts to private operators to run trains.

Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan announced the delay in the creation of GBR to MPs

However, Ms Trevelyan told MPs on Tuesday that plans to introduce a transport bill during the current parliamentary session had been postponed in order to prioritise work on tackling the energy crisis.

The delay meant GBR was unlikely to be fully in place by early 2024, as had been hoped, she added.

Despite this, a decision on where GBR's headquarters was to be located would still be made in the next few weeks, the government said.

A public vote took place in July and August to invite people to choose which city should be home to the HQ, with York, Doncaster, Birmingham, Crewe, Newcastle and Derby all shortlisted.

Responding to the delay, York Council's Liberal Democrat leader Mr Aspden said: "It is incredibly disappointing to learn plans for GBR and the integration of railways and improvements to services have been shelved.

"The government must not abandon their plans to deliver comprehensive investment and an integrated rail service in the North, which is the only way to unlock the full potential of the region."

Doncaster is also on the shortlist to be the site for the GBR headquarters following a public vote

He also warned that cancelling the GBR project could be a "wasted opportunity".

Labour MP for York Central, Rachael Maskell, said the delay could put thousands of jobs at risk.

She told the Commons that "huge amounts" had been spent during the bidding process.

South Yorkshire Mayor Mr Coppard described the delay in establishing GBR as "a damning indictment of this government's commitment to levelling-up".

He added: "This chaotic approach to governing is causing a huge amount of damage to our region and our country. They must do better."

The transport secretary said she expected "the hiatus will be short", adding that the legislation for GBR should follow in the next session of Parliament, from next May.

Analysis by James Vincent, BBC Yorkshire's Political Editor

The reaction from one of our politicians to this news didn't get past my editors. It was "NSFW" - Not Safe For Work.

As I understand it, a new HQ for Great British Railways will still be picked pretty shortly - but there are doubts the organisation will ever exist.

The idea had been to build a new publicly-owned body to oversee railways. We were promised reliable services, simpler fares and accountable leadership.

The government has now said there is no time to get the bill through.

York and Doncaster had spent time and money bidding for the new HQ of Great British Railways.

We're told there will still be work to do at the new HQ, but in both our cities with a huge railway history, they're now not sure what the future is for passengers.