Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with freight rail operating companies on the end of the transition period.

The Department has engaged extensively with the rail freight industry in the run up to the end of the transition period. Officials meet regularly with rail freight operators and relevant industry bodies, through both Ministerial and senior official led roundtable meetings, to ensure freight operators are preparing effectively for our new trading relationship with the EU. We have published formal guidance on running domestic and cross-border rail operations from 1 January 2021.

The Department also engages on a very regular basis specifically with cross-border freight operators to ensure they have the necessary arrangements in place and are well prepared for all scenarios from 1 January 2021.