Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether membership of the Rail Delivery Group is a contractual requirement for train operating companies under the (a) Emergency Measure Agreements and (b) the Emergency Recovery Measure Agreements.

The Emergency Measures Agreements and Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements do not contain a contractual requirement for train operating companies to be members of the Rail Delivery Group. However, train operating companies are required to hold an ORR licence as a condition of entry into and to retain the franchise agreement.

Condition 28 of the ORR Statement of National Regulatory Provisions (SNRP) that the SNRP holder ORR ‘shall: (a) become and thereafter remain a Licensed Member of RDG; (b) comply with its obligations under the RDG Articles; and (c) procure that any member of its Group that is entitled under the RDG Articles to become a Member of RDG: (i) becomes and thereafter remains a Member of RDG; and (ii) complies with its obligations under the RDG Articles.’