Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential cost to his Department of delaying the establishment of Great British Railways beyond the initial expected timetable.

We are committed to working with the sector to tackle the challenges Keith Williams set out in the Plan for Rail White Paper and that have faced the railway as it recovers from the pandemic. We will bring forward legislation when Parliamentary time allows.

Ahead of legislation, we are working closely with the Great British Railways Transition Team and the sector to improve journeys for passengers and create a better, more modern railway. The cost of establishment and ongoing operations of Great British Railways will be confirmed in the final business case in 2023.