Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of rail workers' (a) contracts and (b) rosters on the level of subsidy for running (i) lightly-used and (ii) empty rail services.

Rail workers' contracts and rosters are a matter for train operating companies, and while inevitably for operational reasons some services will have low loadings, we expect all operators to regularly review their timetabled services to ensure they are both attractive to passengers and reduce the tax-payer support required for the railway. Great British Railways will be created as a new arm’s length body, bringing together the management of the network and the delivery of passenger services to deliver a more sustainable, affordable and reliable railway.