Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is her policy that local rail services integrated into Greater Manchester’s Bee Network will be operated by Great British Railways.

The Government and rail industry is working closely in partnership with Greater Manchester to support the integration of local rail into the Bee Network. Services will be operated by Great British Railways (GBR). We are in the early stages of developing a pathfinder local commissioning partnership with Greater Manchester, under which the Mayor could directly fund and specify local GBR services.

This is distinct from full devolution of rail services. The Railways Bill retains measures enabling further devolution of rail services where there is a strong case. The English Rail Devolution Applications Guidance, published in December last year, sets out the process for MSAs to request further devolution of rail services, stations or infrastructure.