Written questions by Vickers.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her polices of the Office of Rail and Road's statistics entitled Passenger Rail Usage, published on 20 March 2025, in the context of open access competition on the East Coast Mainline.

The Department recognises the wider benefits that can be provided by open access operators in the right circumstances, including increased competition which we have seen on the East Coast Main Line. We welcome the publication of Passenger Rail Usage statistics published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on 20 March 2025. We continually monitor statistics published by the ORR and take account of them in our decision making where appropriate.

What estimate she has made of the amount of vacant property space on the Network Rail land estate which could be let for (a) retail and (b) commercial purposes.

Network Rail’s present commercial vacancy rate is 3.2%, across the 20 stations managed by Network Rail.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of open access rail operators on levels of (a) inward investment, (b) economic growth and (c) regeneration.

Whilst the Department recognises the wider benefits that can be provided by open access operators in the right circumstances, the Department has not carried out such assessments. Access to the rail network is currently a matter for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in its role as independent regulator for the rail industry, who use the industry standard model to assess the impact of open access.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of open access operators on (a) rail passenger growth, (b) passenger choice and (c) fare levels on the East Coast Main Line.

Whilst we have not carried out such assessments, the Department considers the likely impacts of all open access applications on a case by case basis in line with the standard industry process. This includes assessing the financial, operational and performance impacts of individual applications. Open access can provide benefits such as improved connectivity and choice for passengers but can also increase costs to taxpayers by abstracting revenue from government-contracted services. It can also create additional pressures on an already constrained network and negatively impact overall performance. That is why the Department makes assessments on a case-by-case basis and only provides support where benefits outweigh costs to taxpayers and impacts to the efficient operation of the network. Access to the rail network, however, is ultimately a decision for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in its role as independent regulator for the rail industry.

When Network Rail last carried out an (a) audit and (b) inventory of its railway property estate to identify (i) sites and (ii) spaces suitable for commercial use.

As part of Network Rail’s strategic objective, to connect goods and people, Network Rail is continually assessing its portfolio by understanding passenger/customer needs in and around its stations and commercial estate. Network Rail produces an annual business plan to bring forward spaces suitable for commercial use to drive income but also to support wider economic prosperity.

What information her Department holds on the level of retail income received by Network Rail from commercial premises on its estate in 2018-19 and 2022-23.

Network Rail’s retail income in 2018/19 was £135.7m and in 2022/23 it was £107.3m.Network Rail's retail income is for the 20 stations that Network Rail manage, the other retail income from the remaining stations goes to the Train Operating Company responsible for managing each one. In 22/23 passenger numbers were gradually recovering but revenue continued to be impacted by changing passenger numbers post-pandemic.

When Network Rail last carried out an (a) audit and (b) inventory of its railway property estate to identify (i) sites and (ii) spaces suitable for residential development.

Network Rail regularly assesses its portfolio for opportunities and has active pipelines of existing sites that could be identified for residential development. Network Rail’s Regional and Group Property teams work closely together to identify sites to develop; this will be a key priority of Network Rail’s property company which was announced as part of the International Investment Summit.

If she will ensure that seat utilisation of London and North Eastern Railway services on key routes are taken into account before permitting Network Rail to issue a restricted capacity notice for the East Coast Main Line.

The Department regularly monitors levels of passenger demand on LNER services which help inform timetable planning decisions on the East Coast Mainline. Network capacity is a matter for Network Rail to assess according to their criteria.

What assessment she has made of the potential role of newly approved open access services in supporting British train (a) manufacturing, (b) assembly and (c) supply chains.

Privately owned and run open access operators can play a significant role in supporting UK train manufacturers, assemblers and their UK supply chains and are an important source of potential orders, both for new and cascaded rolling stock.  It remains a matter for each operator to decide when and how to source its own rolling stock.

If she will make (a) an estimate of the proportion of London and North Eastern Railway services with limited stops that operate with under 65% seat occupancy and (b) a comparative assessment of the potential merits of providing non-subsidised open access services with more calling points.

The Department continues to work with the rail industry to ensure the design of timetable meets stakeholders needs and makes effective use of infrastructure. If an Open Access operator wishes to compete with a contracted operator, such as LNER, it is free to apply to the ORR to do so, and ORR will assess the benefits and wider impacts to passengers and to taxpayers and decide upon the application in its role as independent regulator for the rail industry.

What progress Network Rail has made on the cost reviews taking place to deliver power supply improvements on the (a) West and (b) East Coast Main Line.

The Government is currently reviewing the position it has inherited on rail infrastructure and will consider how we address power supply issues. We will set out our plans in due course.

What is the forecast subsidy to support London and North Eastern Railway in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.

LNER’s subsidy forecasts for 2024/25 and 2025/26 are commercially sensitive. Details of LNER’s accounts from previous years can be found in the published statutory accounts.

What is the percentage seat utilisation per mile on London and North Eastern Railway services to (a) York, (b) Leeds and (c) Newcastle.

LNER services have a high rate of seat utilisation which is comparable to or better than other inter-city long distance franchised operators. However, seat utilisation varies throughout the day as LNER make effective use of track capacity by running longer trains which delivers more capacity during the peaks, which can lead to excess capacity on return legs where demand may be lower. Timetable obligations and fixed train sets means that there is sufficient capacity to meet demand, though is not possible to alter capacity in these quieter times to improve seat utilisation rates on these services.

What discussions she has had with Network Rail on the (a) under-utilisation of some London North Eastern Railway services on the East Coast Main Line and (b) comparative potential merits of awarding those rails slots to open access services.

The Department regularly monitors levels of passenger demand on LNER services which help inform timetable planning decisions on the East Coast Mainline. Network capacity is a matter for Network Rail to assess according to their criteria. The Secretary of State has not discussed awarding LNER services to Open Access operators with Network Rail, and has no plans to do so, but does continue to engage with Network Rail and the ORR on submitted Open Access applications in line with standard industry processes.