Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to encourage new and existing open access rail services to examine the future potential use of long distance high speed passenger rolling stock which has been displaced as a result of the Intercity Express Programme.

The rolling stock that was replaced by operators as part of the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) is privately owned by a number of rolling stock owning companies (ROSCOs) and was returned to them by operators when the new IEP trains were introduced. It is a matter for the ROSCOs and any future operator to determine the ability of such rolling stock to deliver potential future services.