Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce a consumer satisfaction threshold for rail franchises; and if he will make a statement.

My Department is committed to driving improvements in the passenger’s experience. That is why we are including challenging customer satisfaction targets in Franchise Agreements which are based on the results of the National Rail Passenger Survey. Where the targets are not met, train companies are required to make financial investments to make sure that passengers get the standards of service that they rightly deserve. We are also continuing to review our policies in this area to ensure that passengers are placed at the heart of our franchise objectives and incentives.