Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what incentives will be put in place to encourage growth in passenger numbers for the rail network for (a) Great British Railways as an organisation, (b) senior management within Great British Railways and (c) the rail workforce.

The Government has been clear that GBR will be incentivised to deliver for passengers. By bringing responsibility for track and train into one organisation, GBR will be able to remove the mixture of conflicting incentives across multiple organisations and realign incentives towards passengers. This is being considered as part of the continuing GBR design process.

The Long-Term Rail Strategy will set out the outcomes we expect GBR to achieve, including an unrelenting focus on passengers. This will inform the development of GBR’s long-term strategic business plans, ensuring passengers, and other users of the railway, remain central to the organisation’s culture.

The continued expectation of a reduction in subsidy for the railways also incentivises growing passenger numbers, as well as benefitting taxpayers.