HC Deb 22 April 1996 vol 276 cc35-6W
Ms Short

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much additional subsidy has been made available to train operating companies and freight operating companies to cover the cost of supplementary track access charges. [24548]

Mr. Watts

The level of grant paid by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising to passenger train operating companies takes into account all factors, including likely financial efforts of the introduction of the track access performance regime and the expected level of compensation payments from Railtrack.

Overall the level of grant paid by Opraf to the first five franchises by year seven will be one third the current funding paid to BR.