Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mechanisms will her Department establish to resolve disputes between Great British Railways and devolved administrations over service provision.

The Railways Bill has been introduced to end the outdated model of franchising and structural fragmentation that inhibits how the railway is run. The vision for the future relationship between GBR and devolved operators is one of collaboration between public sector providers, delivering for passengers, freight and taxpayers.

The Bill requires the preparation and publication of two separate Memoranda of Understanding between the Secretary of State for Transport and Welsh Ministers and Scottish Ministers respectively. These will set out how UK and Devolved Ministers will cooperate with each other and how they expect GBR and devolved operators to work together.

The Bill requires GBR to consult Scottish and Welsh Ministers on its Access and Use Policy, which will set out the processes that GBR will follow when making decisions on access to its network and the criteria it intends to use to make those decisions. GBR will also be required to consult Scottish and Welsh Ministers on significant changes to GBR services to or from Scotland or Wales, respectively.