Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow competition for open access operators on the Great Western Railway route from Cornwall to London.

We are clear that there will continue to be a role for Open Access Operators in the reformed railway, providing innovation and choice for passengers. Access to the network is currently determined by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in accordance with its statutory duties, and the Department cannot direct ORR in its decision-making.

Under rail reform, this will change as Great British Railways (GBR) takes over responsibility for managing access to the network and ORR takes on a new role to hold GBR to account and ensure fairness and transparency for all operators. GBR’s role will include consideration of any future applications for Open Access services across the entire rail network, including on the Great Western Railway route.

Open Access Operators will continue to be able to propose new services, and, where these represent best use of the network and offer genuine benefits to passengers, we would expect GBR to grant access and enable competition.