Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any correlation between (1) Avanti trains being awarded a performance bonus, and (2) subsequent train cancellations by Avanti.

As part of National Rail Contracts, operators must meet challenging operational targets to earn performance-based fees. If performance falls below a pre-determined level, the Department can intervene to act in passengers’ best interests.

Officials continue to closely monitor and review Avanti West Coast’s (AWC) progress to a sustained recovery, restoring services reliably on the West Coast and delivering good value for the taxpayer. The Department will hold AWC responsible for matters within its control.

To date, AWC has not received operational performance fees related to periods since the commencement of its National Rail Contract on 15 October 2023.