Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will ensure that the bidding process for the Great Eastern Main Line franchise includes increased service frequency and improved train capacity.

As with all competitions, after running a public consultation to help specify services, we have published the Invitation To Tender which sets out the minimum service specifications for the next East Anglia franchise. This asks bidders to set out detailed proposals on what improvements for passengers they will deliver. This approach allowsbidders the flexibility to design the best way of delivering or exceeding those specifications.