Railways Bill: Opposition Reasoned Amendment
170
Ayes
—
332
Noes
Defeated · Government won
147 did not vote
Analysis
Commons
Commons
**What happened**: On 9 December 2025, MPs voted on a "reasoned amendment" tabled by the Conservatives, which is a procedural motion used to block a bill from proceeding by setting out objections to it in principle. The amendment sought to prevent the Railways Bill from advancing to its committee stage, where detailed scrutiny takes place. The amendment was defeated by 332 votes to 170, meaning the bill will now proceed. **Why it matters**: The defeat of the blocking amendment clears the way for the government's Railways Bill to move forward through Parliament. The bill forms part of Labour's programme to reform the railway system, including bringing train operators into public ownership. The outcome means passengers, rail workers, and the broader transport sector will see this legislation continue its parliamentary journey rather than being halted at an early stage. **The politics**: The vote divided sharply along party lines. All 284 Labour MPs and all 34 Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted backed the government's position by voting against the amendment. The 96 voting Conservatives were joined in supporting the blocking motion by all 63 voting Liberal Democrats, the 4 Democratic Unionist Party MPs, 2 Reform UK MPs, and 1 Traditional Unionist Voice MP. Plaid Cymru and the Greens sided with the government. The Liberal Democrat decision to vote with the Conservatives against the bill is notable given the parties' differing outlooks on public ownership. This vote was held on the same day as the bill's Second Reading, which passed 329 to 173, placing the reasoned amendment vote in direct sequence with the bill's approval in principle.
Voting Aye meant
Support blocking the Railways Bill, expressing scepticism that nationalising train operators will improve passenger services
Voting No meant
Support the Railways Bill proceeding, backing the government's plan to bring railways into public ownership to improve reliability and performance
502 voting MPs. Each dot is one vote; left-to-right by party. Grey dots in the centre are the 147 who did not vote.
Aye
No
Absent
Labour PartyWhipped No
0
284
78
Conservative and Unionist PartyWhipped Aye
96
0
20
Liberal DemocratsWhipped Aye
63
0
9
Labour and Co-operative PartyWhipped No
0
34
8
Independent
3
6
4
Scottish National Party
0
0
9
Reform UK
2
0
6
Sinn Féin
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist PartyWhipped Aye
4
0
1
Green Party of England and WalesWhipped No
0
3
1
Plaid CymruWhipped No
0
4
—
Social Democratic and Labour Party
0
1
1
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
0
0
1
Speaker
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
1
0
—
Ulster Unionist Party
0
0
1
Your Party
0
1
—
Supports the Bill as essential reform to unify fragmented railways, eliminate private profit, reduce management costs, and prioritise passengers through public ownership under GBR with stronger passenger watchdog.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (3,434 words) →
Opposes the Bill as ideological state control that weakens independent regulation, eliminates competition from open access operators, increases taxpayer subsidy without guaranteeing better services, and lacks performance standards.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (3,316 words) →
Acknowledges need for rail reform but opposes Bill as written; concerns include lack of passenger growth targets, excessive state micromanagement (citing DfT failures), insufficient protection for open access and freight, and vague criteria for access charges.Liberal Democrats · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,295 words) →
Welcomes Bill as overdue reform ending 30 years of fragmentation; welcomes passenger watchdog and accessibility duties but seeks clarification on watchdog independence, disabled passenger protections, and conflict-of-interest safeguards.Labour (Transport Committee Chair) · Voted no · Read full speech (1,146 words) →
Opposes full nationalisation; supports uniting track and train (Conservative 2023 plan) but via concessionary model like TfL, not ideology-driven state control, and criticises lack of protections for Isle of Wight ferry connections.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,036 words) →
Strongly supports Bill; welcomes unified system allowing better planning, increased investment in south-west branches, Devon Metro proposal, and resilience improvements while supporting open access operators.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,031 words) →
Challenges government claim that nationalisation improves services; points to South Western Railway worsening (delays, cancellations) since public takeover in 2024.Liberal Democrats · Voted aye · Read full speech (87 words) →
Questions whether passengers care about organisational structure versus tangible improvements; notes 50% increase in SWR cancellations and 29% increase in delays since renationalisation.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (122 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0