Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to abolish the network grant; and whether he plans that subsidy will be channelled through train-operating companies instead of Network Rail during the remaining years of Control Period 5.

We intend to either remove or significantly reduce the Network Grant by re-routing Government support via franchised train operating companies, which will pay correspondingly higher track access charges to Network Rail for using the network. This change will not affect the overall level of support Government will be providing to rail.

This new approach will ensure that Network Rail focuses firmly on the needs of train operators, and through them, passengers.

Working with the Office of Rail and Road, we intend this change to take effect from the start of Control Period 6 (April 2019). We will be consulting with industry on the details.