The announcement of the new rail body, Great British Railways, is the government's response to the Williams Rail Review. The aim is that the new body which will set timetables, prices and manage rail infrastructure will start operating from 2023 and take over from Network Rail. 

The reform includes changes to ticketing including:

• All tickets will be sold by GBR in the future, ending the system where passengers must buy them from multiple companies online and in stations
• There will be a "significant rollout" of more pay as you go, contactless and digital ticketing on smartphones
• And from June flexible season tickets will be available for some people who commute two or three times a week.

One of the reasons for bringing in Network Rail under the new body is that Network Rail has been very engineering focussed whereas Great British Railways will focus on the customer experience. The announcements today places customers at the heart of rail operations, and also includes a commitment to 5-year funding periods giving more certainty to the sector and places innovation at the heart of better services. 

In the announcement the operating model of Great British Railways is likened to that of Transport for London:

"There will remain a substantial and often greater role for the private sector. GBR will contract private partners to operate most trains to the timetables and fares it specifies, with a model similar to that used by Transport for London in its successful Overground and Docklands Light Railway services."

The new plans also mention skills:

"Enhancing skills, leadership and diversity across the sector will create new opportunities for the hundreds of thousands of people working on our railways. High-value jobs for the future will be created and make the most of data and technology to better support customers."