Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many applications for new open access rail operations have been submitted to the Office of Rail and Road since 2010; how many and what proportion of those applications were successful; and if he will publish a list of all successful applications in that time period.

Since 2010, the Office of Rail and Road has received 15 applications for new open access rail operations. Of these, three were subsequently withdrawn by the applicant, seven were rejected and three were approved. Two of the applications are currently under consideration.

Since 2010 the Office of Rail and Road has also approved numerous applications for contract extensions and for the operation of significant additional services by existing open access operators.

All access decisions made by the Office of Rail and Road are published on its website.