Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment have they made of (1) the reliability of rail services under reduced service levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) the value of a future railway timetable which is set at less than theoretical maximum capacity levels.

The Government and the rail industry revised the train timetable to ensure passengers received a regular and reliable service throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We took early action to stabilise the industry, which enabled the continued operation of critical passenger and freight services. Throughout the pandemic, performance levels have increased substantially, with the number of recorded station stops arrived at on time being over 15% higher than in the same period in 2019. We continue to work closely with industry to make sure we strike the right balance between running the maximum levels of service that can be resourced reliably and protecting taxpayers’ best interests.