Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 August 2026 to Question 14997 on Railways: Standards, what criteria her Department uses to determine whether passenger demand is sufficiently low to justify a reduction in (a) train services and (b) station calls; and what minimum level of passenger demand would justify such a reduction.

The Department expects all train operators to plan and deliver services that respond to evolving passenger demand. This may involve reduced services, or station calls where demand is expected to be lower, but equally enhanced services at times and places where demand is higher. The overarching principle is to provide capacity to best meet demand within the resources available, in a way that delivers value for money for taxpayers and supports delivery of a reliable railway. Changes are considered on a case-by-case basis considering a range of factors, including the impact on performance and crowding, the effect on access to services such as employment, education, healthcare and leisure and the impact on the overall affordability of the railway, in particular the net subsidy taxpayers pay to the railway.