Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she will take to ensure Great British Railways Retail is treated as a market participant operating under the same terms and conditions as independent rail operators; and what discussions she has had with the Office of Rail and Road on this matter.

The retail industry code of practice announced in the Government's response to the Railways Bill consultation will incorporate clear requirements for how Great British Railways (GBR) should interact with all market participants. The code of practice will be owned and managed by the Office of Rail and Road, and GBR’s licence will require it to comply.

The government has confirmed that there will be full consultation on the production of the code of practice, thereby ensuring important input from industry, regulatory and other stakeholders. The government recognises that there will be a range of interested parties in both its original development and any ongoing updates to ensure it remains effective.