Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that nationalised rail operators (a) remain commercially viable and (b) ensure that lower-income passengers are able to commute.

Public sector train operators deliver passenger services under Services Agreements with the Secretary of State. Services Agreements are customer-focused, performance-focused and will support the financial sustainability of the railways for taxpayers.

This Government is overhauling the fares and ticketing system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare. We need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, ensuring everyone gets a fair deal.

Track and train will be brought together so that decisions can be made on a whole-industry basis, with a single view across railway costs and revenue, rather than being driven by what is best for individual organisations.

A proposed new funding process, to be established in legislation, will facilitate integrated decisions and enable Great British Railways to deliver its agreed business plans and the strategies of railway funders.