Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the benefit-cost ratio of the railway investment schemes for which funding has not been confirmed including (1) the York Area Capacity and Performance, (2) South West Rail Resilience Programme phase 5, (3) Midland Mainline Electrification phase 3, and (4) Peckham Rye Station Congestion.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Benefit Cost Ratios (BCRs) within the economic case are only one element of decision-making on schemes and should be considered alongside the other cases in the five case business model used in Government (strategic, economic, financial, commercial and management cases). BCRs evolve as a project is developed through different levels of maturity as well as with changing scope, costs and benefits profiles. Definitive BCRs are not available for these schemes as they are either at an early stage of development or for which existing analysis is not up to date and therefore not representative of current scheme assumptions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 14 July 2025 (HL Deb cols 1678–1681), whether they will publish for each of the road schemes for which funding was confirmed (1) the benefit-cost ration, (2) the latest cost estimate with the date of that cost estimate, and (3) the appraisal made under the Department for Transport’s capital spend review announced in July 2024.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

(1) Detailed information on Strategic Road Network (SRN) schemes is available in the applications for planning consent, available on the Planning Inspectorate’s website. Benefit-cost ratio information for Major Road Network/Large Local Majors (MRN/LLM) schemes is part of the business case evidence and analysis which is provided by Local Authorities. This information is therefore available directly from them, once a scheme is approved at the Full Business Case (FBC) stage.

(2) Scheme costs for the SRN schemes will be confirmed as part of the setting of the third Road Investment Strategy, planned to be published by the end of March 2026. For MRN/LLM schemes, individual financial details cannot be provided ahead of assessing the Full Business Case, as doing so would jeopardise procurement exercises and contract negotiations.

(3) The Capital Review provided strategic advice to the Secretary of State. It did not appraise any specific projects, programmes or portfolios.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish a clear transition plan for the transfer of retail responsibilities from train operating company retail websites to Great British Railways; and whether they will also publish a timetable for formal market consultation and tendering for the Great British Railways online rail ticket retailing.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Once Great British Railways (GBR) is established, it will retail online by consolidating individual train operators’ ticket websites. This will take place alongside a thriving private sector retail market, which will continue to play a key role in driving innovation and investment and encouraging more people to choose rail.

The Railways Bill consultation took place in the Spring. As part of this process, the Government consulted closely with the industry, the private sector, and wider stakeholders, including in relation to the future of the rail retail market. A formal update will be provided in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether there will be an interim digital rail retail solution available before train operating company retail websites are turned off and before the Great British Railways online rail ticket retailing goes live.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Once Great British Railways (GBR) is established, it will retail online by consolidating individual train operators’ ticket websites. This will take place alongside a thriving private sector retail market, which will continue to play a key role in driving innovation and investment and encouraging more people to choose rail.

The Railways Bill consultation took place in the Spring. As part of this process, the Government consulted closely with the industry, the private sector, and wider stakeholders, including in relation to the future of the rail retail market. A formal update will be provided in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether rail ticketing software providers will be invited to tender to manage Great British Railways’ retail ticket sales.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Once Great British Railways (GBR) is established, it will retail online by consolidating individual train operators’ ticket websites. This will take place alongside a thriving private sector retail market, which will continue to play a key role in driving innovation and investment and encouraging more people to choose rail.

The Railways Bill consultation took place in the spring. As part of this process, the Government consulted closely with industry, the private sector, and wider stakeholders including in relation to the future of the rail retail market. A formal update will be provided in due course, and we will work closely with stakeholders to ensure transition plans are as smooth as possible.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have put in place to deliver a smooth transition of retail functions from train operating companies to Great British Railways.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Once Great British Railways (GBR) is established, it will retail online by consolidating individual train operators’ ticket websites. This will take place alongside a thriving private sector retail market, which will continue to play a key role in driving innovation and investment and encouraging more people to choose rail.

The Railways Bill consultation took place in the spring. As part of this process, the Government consulted closely with industry, the private sector, and wider stakeholders including in relation to the future of the rail retail market. A formal update will be provided in due course, and we will work closely with stakeholders to ensure transition plans are as smooth as possible.