Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse was of the Senior 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.