Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many officials in her Department are employed to oversee the work of (a) Shadow GBR (b) HS2 Ltd and (c) train operating companies.

Shadow GBR consists of the three leaders of Network Rail, DfT Operator Limited (DfTO), and the Department for Transport’s Rail Services Group working together with the Chair, Laura Shoaf CBE. At present seven officials in the Department are employed to mobilise these arrangements (with some working on SGBR alongside other priorities).

As at January 2025, there are approximately 175 officials in DfT's Major Rail Projects Group, which has responsibility for developing and sponsoring the delivery of HS2, the Euston programme, Northern Powerhouse Rail and future network planning. Within the Department’s markets teams there are 113 officials overseeing the rail franchise contracts.