Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has for the onward cascade and transfer of rolling stock between train operators in the event that there are delays to the delivery and introduction of new trains.

The Franchise Agreement has clauses to support the sensible cascade out of rolling stock if there is a delay in new trains. We would expect the current operators of the rolling stock to resolve satisfactorily in discussion with the owners and the future operators of the rolling stock.