Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) performance measures and (b) regulatory framework the Great British Railways body will operate within covering (i) infrastructure, (ii) operations and (iii) track access arrangements.

Strong measures and structures will be put in place to ensure Great British Railways is accountable, transparent and reflective of its need to serve passengers, freight customers and taxpayers.

Funding streams will be conditional on meeting Great British Railways' mandate for delivering customer needs and making efficiency improvements.

Great British Railways will be subject to a series of mandates, including to operate in the interests of passengers, freight customers and local communities.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) will scrutinise Great British Railways’ delivery of its objectives across the business, and will provide expert advice to the Secretary of State and devolved administrations. ORR will have powers to require improvement plans, encourage best practice and support problem solving across the sector. They will also act as an appeals body for operators, able to direct Great British Rail to change its decision where it has not applied its track access and charging policies fairly.

The government will consult with partners across the rail industry on the development and implementation of the new rules-based track access system. We will make an announcement on next steps in due course.