Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to protect the future growth of cross-border rail freight after the UK leaves the EU.

The Government has agreed in principle the terms of the UK’s smooth and orderly exit from the EU, as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement. The UK has also agreed with the EU the broad terms of our future relationship as set out in the outline Political Declaration.

This includes a commitment to agree bilateral arrangements with Member States to ensure the continued smooth functioning and operation of services through the Channel Tunnel.

The Government is engaging with a range of European counterparts, including relevant Member States, in relation to the continued operation of cross-border rail services, following preparations for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. These discussions are ongoing and include consideration of arrangements needed both following the implementation period, as well as preparations for the unlikely event of no deal.

The Government is committed to supporting the continued success of the Channel Tunnel, including rail freight services that run through it, and we want to see these grow in the future.

The arrangements we are seeking to negotiate bilaterally are intended to ensure that both current operators of passenger and freight services, and any prospective operators seeking to run new services in future, can do so as seamlessly as possible.