Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the transfer of Intercity 125 sets from the Great Western franchise to the Scotrail franchise in 2017-18 is conditional on Network Rail meeting its current regulated output targets on the Great Western Main Line electrification project.

The lease for the Intercity 125 sets is a commercial matter between Great Western Railway (GWR) and the owner of the fleet. Under current plans, the transfer of the rolling stock is not conditional on Network Rail meeting its current regulated output targets on the Great Western Main Line electrification project.

The planned schedule for the introduction of the InterCity Express Programme fleet to replace the Intercity 125 sets will see the new trains enter service from 2017 on the Great Western Main Line.