Railways Bill: Second Reading
329
Ayes
—
173
Noes
Passed · Government won
146 did not vote
Analysis
Commons
Commons
**What happened:** The House of Commons voted on 9 December 2025 to give the Railways Bill its Second Reading, meaning the Bill passes from initial debate to detailed examination at committee stage. The vote passed by 329 Ayes to 173 Noes. Second Reading is the first major Commons vote on a Bill, covering its broad principles rather than specific provisions. **Why it matters:** The Railways Bill is the legislative vehicle for creating Great British Railways (GBR), a single public body that would absorb 17 organisations currently involved in running the railway, combining responsibility for track and train under one roof. The Government argues this will simplify fares and ticketing, reduce fragmentation, freeze rail fares (described in debate as the first such freeze in 30 years), establish a new independent passenger watchdog, set a statutory freight growth target, and give mayors and devolved governments a formal role in shaping local services. The Bill builds on the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act passed in November 2024, under which seven train operators have already transferred into public hands, with seven more to follow. **The politics:** Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs voted unanimously in favour (284 and 34 respectively), providing the Government's majority. Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the Democratic Unionist Party voted entirely against. Reform UK split, with two voting Aye and two voting No. Three Green MPs and five Independents also supported the Bill. On the same day, a Conservative reasoned amendment opposing the Bill on principle was defeated by 332 to 170, confirming the clear government majority. The Bill sits within a broader Labour transport agenda that has also seen the Bus Services (No.2) Bill pass through the Commons in recent months, with opposition amendments consistently defeated by similar margins.
Voting Aye meant
Support nationalising rail services under public ownership to improve reliability and coordination of the railway network
Voting No meant
Oppose rail nationalisation, arguing public ownership has not improved services and that the bill's approach is misguided
502 voting MPs. Each dot is one vote; left-to-right by party. Grey dots in the centre are the 146 who did not vote.
Aye
No
Absent
Labour PartyWhipped Aye
284
0
78
Conservative and Unionist PartyWhipped No
0
94
22
Liberal DemocratsWhipped No
0
64
8
Labour and Co-operative PartyWhipped Aye
34
0
8
Independent
5
4
4
Scottish National Party
0
0
9
Reform UKWhipped No
2
2
4
Sinn Féin
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist PartyWhipped No
0
4
1
Green Party of England and WalesWhipped Aye
3
0
1
Plaid CymruWhipped No
0
4
—
Social Democratic and Labour Party
1
0
1
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
0
0
1
Speaker
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
0
1
—
Ulster Unionist Party
0
0
1
Your Party
1
0
—
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 aye · 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 no · 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 no · 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 aye · 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 no · 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 aye · 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 no · 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 no · Read full speech (122 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0