Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the at-seat catering service provided under the directly awarded franchise on the Great Western Main Line will be in addition to a buffet car or café-bar on the train.

The current rail franchise which has been directly awarded to First Great Western started on 13 October 2013. It did not specify details of on-train catering services, which train operators are best placed to manage. The refreshed Franchising Schedule published on 10 October 2014 said that a further directly awarded franchise of 3½ years was anticipated to be awarded to First Great Western after the end of the current franchise on 19 September 2015. The Department for Transport is currently in discussion with First Great Western about the terms of this second directly awarded franchise.