Overview

• Jeremy Westlake was appointed as the first permanent chief executive of Great British Railways following c2c’s transition into public oversight in July 2025.
• The Centre for Policy Studies warns that GBR’s centralised structure could replicate British Rail inefficiencies without stronger competition from open-access operators.
• The CPS report criticises proposals to absorb parts of the Office of Rail and Road into GBR for removing independent regulatory scrutiny of safety and performance.
• Open-access applications from Virgin, Lumo and Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway were blocked by the ORR this month for capacity reasons, highlighting tensions over market access.
• The think tank urges GBR to monetise its 52,000-hectare estate through retail, property and renewable energy projects to diversify income beyond ticket sales.