"It is firmly a Government intention” to transfer the Historical Railways Estate to Great British Railways. That was the commitment made yesterday by Lord Hendy, the Minister of State for Rail, during his response to a debate around an amendment to the Railways Bill which is currently going through its Committee Stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6poAoRnMp8

 
It was interesting to see how these members of the House of Lords could sit around the committee table, and (notwithstanding their different political allegiances) have a civilised and constructive discussion with a remarkable degree of cross-party agreement. Possibly it was easier for milords Young, Grayling and Harper to support this freed from the departmental and Treasury pressures of office?

But, notwithstanding Lord Hendy's commitment, it is difficult to see priority being given to the constructive re-use or devotion of much valuable resource to these assets if they do end up in GBR's ownership. I have had recent experience of dealing with CRT on a "legacy" site, and temper my disappointment with the slowness of their actions by the thought of the vast estate of current and former canal assets (quite a few of which carry considerable potential liability if something fails, as has happened on more than one occasion in recent years) for which they are responsible. I am not sure that moving assets from one balance sheet to another does much to help safeguard them in a world when cost is king, and there are many calls on resources.