Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment he has made of the profit margins of (a) First Great Western and (b) other rail franchises; and if he will make a statement.

Profit margins at each Train Operating Company (TOC) each year are dependent on a range of different factors. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes comparable TOC-by-TOC financial data here: http://orr.gov.uk/rail/publications/reports/uk-rail-industry-financial-information/uk-rail-industry-financial-information-2016-17. This shows that profit margins are less than 3p in the pound across the TOCs. This data is collated and published annually by the independent ORR.