Rolling Stock: Leasing
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 77156 on Rolling Stock: Leasing, whether any of the train operating companies transferred into public ownership since July 2024 have seen rolling stock leasing arrangements novated unchanged to the new public sector operator; and what the total annual cost to the public purse is of those unchanged existing agreements.
Answered by Keir Mather
We are transferring currently franchised services into public ownership as current contracts expire, after they reach their contractual break point or if the contractual right to terminate is met - avoiding the need to pay compensation to the current operators for early termination. The services of three train operating companies have transferred into public ownership since July 2024, South Western Railway, c2c and Greater Anglia. The leasing arrangements for both c2c and Greater Anglia were novated on their existing terms. The Government had already been covering the costs of these since the pandemic. The annual cost of rolling stock to operators is published on an annual basis by the Office for Rail and Road.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →