Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the net cost to the public purse was of subsidising the running of services not including enhancements or repairs on the railways in (a) the year before privatisation and (b) the last financial year in (i) cash terms and (ii) real terms at prices in the last financial year.

In 2017-18, train operating companies provided a net premium of £0.2 billion to central government. In 1993-94, train operating companies received a net subsidy of £0.9 billion in nominal terms (£1.5 billion in real terms) from central government.

For additional information on train operating companies net premiums and subsidies please refer to the Office of Rail and Road data at the link below:

http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/a830de20-83bf-408d-9c22-7f3ec23999f9