Transport secretary Chris Grayling has said his department needs to have less of a role in running the railway, with power transferred to a 'central coordinating place' on an integrated basis.
Speaking to the transport select committee this week, Mr Grayling said that the Department for Transport 'is not the right place to take all the decisions'.
He added that it was his biggest regret looking for 'evolution rather than revolution' in that the railway and that Kieth Williams, chair of the national review into the rail network has a mandate for 'revolution'.
'I completely support what Keith Williams said on the need for government to do less and for there to be a sort of central coordinating place for the network,' he told MPs on the cross-party body.
'One of the problems we had last year [regarding the disruption caused by the change in timetables] is accountability is too fragmented and that is why we had the problems we had last year.
'So no I don't think the department should be the place where these things are done and I think it should do much less than it does at the moment.
'It's in this odd halfway house where it is not in charge but it is not not in charge either. So things fall between the cracks. Network Rail is not in charge but it is not not in charge either, so things fall between the cracks. There are too many areas where things can fall through the cracks.
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