Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons the Government decided to continue the operation by FirstGroup of (a) South Western Railway and (b) TransPennine Express under the new National Rail Contract.
The Department has awarded the new National Rail Contracts to the incumbent operators to replace the temporary Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements, which were introduced September 2020, this will ensure that continuity of service will be maintained in line with the Railways Act 1993.