Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 25 of her Department's document entitled Fixing the Foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, CP 1133, what the evidential basis is for saying there was an additional £1.6 billion cost to the rail system in the 2024-25 financial year.

The £1.6 billion cost referenced is an HMT assessment of the additional cost to run rail services in 2024/25 compared to SR21 plans. This assessment was made at the point at which this government entered office. The additional cost is primarily driven by the impact of weaker-than-expected passenger demand recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.