Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the most recent contractual arrangements are that his Department has agreed with the Operator of Last Resort and (a) SNC Lavalin, (b) EY and (c) Arup.

The Secretary of State has a legal duty under Section 30 of the Railways Act 1993 to maintain continuity of passenger rail services, in the event that a franchise terminates and is not immediately replaced. To discharge this duty, the Department maintains an ‘Operator of Last Resort’ (OLR) function.

To ensure the Department has the specialist skills and expertise it needs to carry out its duty under Section 30, it holds Technical and Financial Advisor contracts with Arup/SNC Lavalin and EY. These contracts are operated on a flexible basis allowing the Department to increase volumes of specialist staff on short notice in response to emerging demands.

The support provided can include assisting the Department in conducting investigations of rail franchises, contingency planning, and if necessary mobilising to facilitate the OLR stepping in and running services.