Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that East Midlands Railways is able to access the additional rolling stock set out in the franchise agreement.

The additional rolling stock for regional and local services cannot be released from its present operator until that operator introduces its fleet of new trains. Officials are in regular contact with East Midlands Railway and the other train operators involved with this in order to ensure that the changes take place as quickly as possible, whilst not putting the provision of existing services at risk.