The department monitors short formations based on the passenger capacity of the trains rather than the number of carriages. Attached is data for the number of short - formed services and the percentage based on what is monitored for each operator. Please note that the percentages are not comparable and do not represent the total number of services for each operator.

The Department does not hold this information centrally. The Department expects all operators to plan and deliver services that respond to evolving passenger demand in a way that provides value for money for taxpayers. This may involve reduced services, or station calls where demand is expected to be lower but equally enhanced services at times and places that demand is higher.

The Department expects operators to publish such changes in the planned timetable. Such changes may be part of a package of wider changes to improve the overall service provided, for example London Northeastern Railway’s December 2025 timetable changes, or in response to expected seasonal demand reductions for example the temporary reductions to some Avanti West Coast services during the summer holidays when fewer people are expected to be travelling on those trains. Changes to train services may also be driven through the Network Rail-managed industry timetable development process, where Network Rail may need to amend train operator plans to best meet the service aspirations of all operators. This process is independent of Government.

Nearly £17 million has been allocated to this project up until 2029/30. The project is currently in its early stages, with Network Rail developing a Full Business Case for the entire programme which, once complete, may indicate that further funding is required in future years.

The Government expects train operators to support passengers during disruption. Under the National Rail Conditions of Travel, operators must, where reasonably practicable, provide appropriate assistance, which may include refreshments.

Ten of the fourteen Department for Transport operators now offer delay repay schemes that provide automated, one-click delay repay, and we are also developing plans to make it even easier and more convenient to claim Delay Repay. Earlier this year, we announced that the compensation claim systems for delayed trains will be merged into one easy-to-use service under Great British Railways. This will also enable passenger to claim Delay Repay directly from third-party retailers for the first time. The Department does not hold data on the proportion of services that receive automatic delay repay.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the effectiveness of landowners’ obligations in relation to fire prevention adjacent to railway property. Responsibility for managing vegetation and other fire risks rests with the relevant landowner, while Network Rail works with neighbouring landowners where risks to the safe and reliable operation of the railway are identified and undertakes its own vegetation management programme to reduce the risk of disruption.

The Department does not hold a centrally published series showing the number of train delays that were caused specifically by trains striking non-human animals on the railway. Operational incident and delay attribution data are recorded and managed by Network Rail and train operators.

The Department does not hold a centrally collated dataset showing how many passenger services operated by each train operating company were affected by defective passenger doors in each month since July 2024. Information on rolling stock defects, including door-related faults, data are recorded and managed by Network Rail and train operators.

The Department does not hold data on the number of services cancelled because of rolling stock failures. The Department does hold information on short formations. However, the data is recorded differently across operators and is not sufficiently comparable to enable a robust assessment of which operator had the highest proportion of services operated with fewer carriages than planned. The Department expects train operators to provide appropriate capacity to meet anticipated passenger demand, including through the effective deployment and maintenance of rolling stock.

The Department does not maintain a central record of the operational systems used by individual train operating companies to record service cancellations. Train operators are responsible for their day-to-day operational systems and reporting arrangements, while performance information is collected and monitored through industry-standard assurance and performance reporting processes.

The Department for Transport has not identified any external expenditure on advertising, marketing, external public relations or other communications activity specifically in relation to the announcement of regulated rail fares for 2025-26. Any routine communications activity associated with this announcement has been delivered using existing departmental and arm’s length body resources and budgets, and costs are not held separately.

Communications activity associated with the announcement of regulated rail fares for 2026-27 was undertaken by the Department, supported by its communications and rail directorates as part of normal Departmental business. Any routine communications activity associated with this announcement has been delivered using existing Departmental budgets, and costs are not held separately.

The Department expects train operators to provide appropriate capacity to meet anticipated passenger demand, including through the effective deployment and maintenance of rolling stock. While the Department does not hold data on rolling stock availability, or the number of services cancelled because of rolling stock failure, it does hold information on short formations. However, this data is recorded differently across operators, and is not sufficiently comparable to enable a robust assessment of which operator had the highest proportion of services operated with fewer carriages than planned.

HMRC’s published statistics on the cost of tax reliefs^[1] provide an estimate of the cost of the VAT Zero Rate for domestic passenger transport of £5.8 billion in 2025-26. This includes other public transport such as buses; a breakdown for rail fares is not available.

^[1] Tax reliefs - GOV.UK

Drawing on Joint Support Enablement investment set out in the Defence Investment Plan, the Ministry of Defence intends to establish an integrated approach to international and domestic rail movements working with UK and allied industry. This framework will help enable the outload, sustainment and recovery necessary for warfighting and national defence.

In their annual report on rail industry finance in the UK, the Office of Rail and Road set out a total government support figure of £21.6 billion in financial year 2024-25.

Data supplied by Network Rail indicates that the volume of trespass incidents increased from 6,415 in 2014/15 to 13,921 in 2025/26 (an increase of 117 per cent).

Over the same time, when adjusted for inflation, the estimated cost of delays associated with trespass incidents rose from £46.7 million to £85.5 million (an increase of 83 per cent).

When adjusted for inflation, the average estimated cost per trespass incident has reduced over time, from approximately £7,300 in 2014/15 to around £6,100 in 2025/26.

Volume of trespass related incidents and estimated costs of associated delays, annual, Great Britain, 2014/15 to 2025/26

Notes:

1. Incidents are delay causing incidents attributed to XA,VA reason codes

2. An incident can appear in more than one rail period if delay was suffered in more than one period

3. Costs are an internal Network Rail estimate of the long-term revenue loss due to those incidents (based on the economics behind the Schedule 8 performance regime)

Source: Network Rail

4. Delay & Cancellation metric dashboard

5. Process for Performance Improvement (PfPI) Costs are from the Performance System database Business Objects attribution universe

Network Rail holds data on the estimated Schedule 8 costs arising from rail trespass incidents from 1 April 2014 onwards. The total value of the payments during this time can be found in the following table:

Volume of trespass related incidents and estimated costs of associated delays, annual, Great Britain, 2014/15 to 2025/26

Notes:

1. Incidents are delay causing incidents attributed to XA,VA reason codes

2. An incident can appear in more than one rail period if delay was suffered in more than one period

3. Costs are an internal Network Rail estimate of the long-term revenue loss due to those incidents (based on the economics behind the Schedule 8 performance regime)

Source: Network Rail

4. Delay & Cancellation metric dashboard

5. Process for Performance Improvement (PfPI) Costs are from the Performance System database Business Objects attribution universe

The Government does not hold data on the economic impact of heritage railways on the UK economy.

DCMS official statistics currently uses the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code 91.03 Operation of historic sites and similar visitor attractions as a narrow proxy for the heritage sector. In 2024, the SIC code Operation of historic sites and similar visitor attractions contributed an estimated 10,000 jobs with a Gross Value Added estimated at £0.8 billion.

Historic England, Government statutory advisors on the historic environment, estimated England's heritage sector overall contributed £15.3 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy in 2022, with a total estimated employment of 201,000 workers.

The Heritage Railway Association, the largest heritage rail trade body, values the economic contribution of the UK's heritage rail sector at roughly £600 million annually. This sum is generated through tourism, local business spending, and the support of thousands of jobs and volunteers across the country.

I’m very pleased to tell my Hon Friend that the Government has made significant progress.

This year, London Northwestern Railway, which serves my Honourable friend’s constituents, West Midlands Railway and the largest operator, GTR, have come back into public ownership. Chiltern services will follow in September and, in December, GWR. Over half of all train operators are now publicly owned.

Passengers are already feeling the benefits. On average, DFTO trains perform better on punctuality and cancellations.

And overall, the reliability of our railway is improving, with cancellation rates falling in the last year.