Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 March (HL6062), whether they will consider substituting bus services at less busy times for passenger train services, in order to release capacity to operate more freight trains.

The specification and provision of rail replacement ‎ services is a commercial and operational matter for the operator and Network Rail. If a proposal were to be brought forward by the train operator and Network Rail, we would consider this matter carefully. No proposal has however been submitted.