Openaccessdelays
TEWKESBURMYPLaurenceRobertson askedthe Departmentfor Transport(Dfr) what assessmentht e Dfr hasmadeof the potentialmeritsof existingand proposed open accessrail operations. Mr Heaton-Harrisaid:"The independentOfficeof Railand Road (ORRi)s responsiblefor determining accessto the trackfor openaccess operatorsH. oweverw, e acknowledge that openaccessoperatorscanplaya contributoryroleimprovingrail services for passengerisn circumstancews hereit deliversnew and innovativeservices.
"TheDfr, asthe competentfranchising authority,haveto balancethe benefits of newopenaccessoperatorswith the impacton the valuefor moneyof taxpayersin the railway.
"Weareawarethat someopenaccess operatorshavepausedoperationsdue to the on-goingCovid-19outbreakand hopeto seethem returnto the network assoonaspossible:'