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British Transport Police: Finance

Asked by Joe RobertsonConservativeDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 22 May 2026UIN 875

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 29 April 2026 to Question 129535 on British Transport Police: Finance, whether the Department plans to absorb the £256.2 million currently recovered from Train Operating Companies through Police Service Agreements into the public finances as services transfer into public ownership under Great British Railways; and what estimate it has made of the impact on departmental expenditure.

Answered by Simon Lightwood

As train operating companies move into public ownership, they will retain the requirement to enter into Police Service Agreements (PSAs) with the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA), and we do not expect any changes to the funding mechanism for these. GBR will budget for PSAs with BTPA. BTPA allocates costs across operators via a cost allocation model that factors in frequency of trains, length of track, and other inputs. This cost allocation model will continue under GBR.

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