Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department is providing for open access train operators during the covid-19 outbreak.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, open access operators have been able to draw upon the extensive support measures that Government has made available across the economy, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Government has supported applications by Hull Trains and Grand Central for extensions to their track access contracts, in order to allow them to seek more favourable terms from lenders and suppliers. The British Transport Police Authority has allowed Hull Trains and Grand Central to defer the contributions they make towards the cost of policing the railway during the period when the companies were in hibernation and not running trains.