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 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 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.

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.

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 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 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.