Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what financial support has been provided from the public purse to open access train operators in response to the impact of the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government fully understands that open-access passenger operators are facing significant financial pressures and have temporarily ceased operations. The Government has already made available a wide range of substantial measures to support businesses across the economy, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which open access operators are using to provide themselves with significant support.

The Government is continuing to actively engage with open-access passenger operators on the specifics of their situations. We welcome their return to the network as soon as possible.