Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help support Great British Railways to reduce rail journey times.

The Government is reforming the railways to ensure they are fit for the 21^st century. Central to this is the establishment of Great British Railways (GBR).

The Draft Rail Reform Bill, which is needed to establish GBR, is undergoing pre legislative scrutiny. Alongside this, we are delivering for passengers, freight customers and taxpayers now, for example simplifying ticketing and fares and introducing the Rail Freight Growth Target.

Once established, GBR will bring infrastructure, operations and strategic finance decisions together, better addressing customers’ needs whilst delivering a simpler and better railway.