Department for Transport: A railway fit for Britain's future

We support the creation of a strong body to advocate on behalf of passengers.

Independent resolution of complaints requires the body doing so to be independent of both parties in a dispute; an ombudsman is the most effective model to identify systemic issues and help drive improvements in services and complaint handling.

The purpose of an Ombudsman, to resolve complaints on a fair and reasonable basis, as a quick and informal alternative to the courts, helps contribute to economic growth by underpinning consumer confidence, providing the reassurance that passengers will receive timely redress if something goes wrong. 

You can read our response below.