Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with South Western Rail on the role of open access rail operators in supporting (a) connectivity, (b) passenger choice and (c) service quality within the UK rail network.

There have been no such conversations with SWR regarding Open Access. Open Access Operators can improve connectivity and choice for passengers but can also increase costs to taxpayers and create additional performance pressures. We have been clear that Open Access must deliver value, not merely divert revenue from existing operators. Open Access applications are also subject to assessments on whether there is sufficient network capacity to accommodate them in a process overseen by the ORR, this is to ensure that new services don’t put too much pressure on the network and adversely affect passengers and freight operators.