Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse was of the 16-25 Railcard in the last year for which figures are available.

As set out in franchise agreements with train operators, the Department for Transport will receive a premium from them or pay out a subsidy based on a range of measures that the franchisee is asked to deliver, including the Senior and 16-25 railcards. It is not possible to disentangle all of the individual elements that contribute to a TOC’s subsidy or premium. As such the department does not undertake ongoing financial assessments of these individual products.