Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they have provided to ensure the continued operation of Eurostar services; and whether they have provided any such support to assist with the cost of UK track access charges.

The Government has made available an unprecedented package of financial support to all sectors of the economy. The Government has been engaging closely with Eurostar since the outbreak of Covid-19 to monitor its ongoing impact, as well as supporting the company to access available support to address Eurostar’s needs, such as the coronavirus job retention scheme. It will continue to do so.

With respect to track access charges specifically, the Government does not have the ability to adjust Eurostar’s UK track access charges, as these are set by HS1 Ltd in accordance with the HS1 regulatory framework. It has also not provided specific financial support to Eurostar to address the costs of track access. However, the Government continues to work closely with both Eurostar and HS1 to support the sustainability of the HS1 system.