3 days ago
Ministers heading for union clash in bid for hi-tech rail travel
Ministers want to bring a Google-style mindset to the railways to harness new technology, in a move that could tee up a clash with trade unions.
GBRX — a new tech agency within the forthcoming Great British Railways body — will draw inspiration from Google owner Alphabet to create 'a more dynamic, efficient and customer-focused railway', according to a briefing document seen by The Sunday Times.
The agency will help 'break the pattern of slow adoption that has historically held our railways back', according to comments from Lord (Peter) Hendy, the rail minister, in the document. 'Much of that delay is due to fragmentation, contractual complexities and the way our system operates.'
The document cites the roll-out of digital signalling, which took 20 years, as an example of the industry's 'inertia' and slow embrace of new technology.
