Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help (a) maintain and (b) improve the operational performance of (i) Greater Anglia and (ii) other private rail operators during the transition to public ownership.

The Government’s approach will be consistent across all operators, including Greater Anglia. While National Rail Contracts (NRCs) remain in place, we will set stretching performance targets for each operator through the annual business planning process. These targets will be specific to each operator, reflecting their individual circumstances. Where performance falls short, we will require operators to put in place robust improvement plans. The Secretary of State has already met a number of poorly performing train operators and their Network Rail counterparts, setting clear expectations for immediate improvement.