Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2025 to Question 76344 on South Western Railway: Personnel Management, what the total cost to the Department for Transport Operator was of assuming (a) management and (b) payroll responsibilities for South Western Railway since it was brought into public ownership.

There was no cost to Department for Transport Operator (DFTO) of assuming management of South Western Railway (SWR). SWR pays DFTO an annual management fee.

DFTO did not assume payroll responsibilities for SWR, therefore there was no cost incurred. SWR manages its payroll internally and has its own payroll team. This was the case both before and after public ownership.

Since the pandemic, the Government has been covering the costs of DfT-contracted operators, in addition to paying private sector operators a management fee. As a result, there are no additional costs to the public purse from terminating contracts as they expire or if operators are found to be in breach.