As detailed in the response to Question 91938, I expect Greater Anglia will remain a net contributor; exact income levels will be agreed during the rolling business planning process. Information on the operator's income will be published in the statutory accounts, available from Companies House, in due course.

Over each of the next ten financial years, I expect Greater Anglia to continue to grow passenger numbers. Projections will be firmed up during the rolling business planning process, taking into account regional long-term planning assessments.

National Highways is currently undertaking a study on the A12 (junctions 19 to 25) that includes an assessment of current and future congestion levels on the corridor. This study is expected conclude by the end of this year.

National Highways is not currently undertaking a specific study to assess levels of congestion on the A120 corridor in each of the next 15 years compared to current levels.

The Local Plan process requires Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to assess the impacts of proposed growth allocations, including impacts on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). The LPAs of Chelmsford, Braintree, and Colchester are all in the process of updating their respective Local Plans. This work is ongoing and continues to build towards a fuller understanding of potential future impacts.

We have committed over £27 billion to deliver the objectives set out in the third Road Investment Strategy to ensure the strategic road network continues to serve all users effectively. This includes £24.99 billion for National Highways to operate, maintain, renew, and enhance the network during this period covering 2026–31. National Highways is responsible for determining how this funding is best allocated to deliver the objectives of the third Road Investment Strategy.

For the A12 in Essex, National Highways forecasts a spend of c. £55 million for various capital renewals over the next five years, with £4.8 million allocated in 2026–27 and the remainder to be confirmed annually.

For the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey, c. £5.6 million has been allocated for various capital renewals for the next five years, including £3.2 million in 2026–27, with the remainder to be confirmed annually.

This investment enables safety and network resilience works and varies based on network needs, and could include measures such as improving road surfaces, visibility, and renewing ageing structural assets.

National Highways is also exploring proportionate, targeted small-scale interventions on the A12 corridor in Essex, subject to demonstrating alignment with wider government objectives for potential delivery in future road periods.

The cost of loading and subsequently removing the announcement was £350; this was proportionate as a means of informing passengers about the freeze of regulated rail fares.

Proposed improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey, where the A120 meets the A12, were considered in detail by National Highways and the Department during the second Road Period (2020-2025) as part of the pipeline of potential future major enhancements to the strategic road network. The Department will provide an update on the pipeline of potential future enhancements as part of the publication of RIS3, due in March.

GA Trains Limited has been set, and is required, to meet targets for punctuality, reliability, service quality and customer satisfaction under the Services Agreement, and is required to publish its performance against these targets on a regular basis.

As detailed in the response to Question 91938, over each of the next five financial years I expect Greater Anglia to continue to grow passenger numbers and income.

Exact income levels will be agreed during the rolling business planning process. Information on the operator's income will be published in the statutory accounts, available from Companies House, in due course.

The A12 scheme was deferred by the previous Government, adding to the overall cost of the scheme as set out in the table below.

In July 2025, following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Government took the difficult decision not to proceed with the A12 scheme, to provide certainty for the public.

During the second Road Period (2020-2025) National Highways has been considering improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey as a possible future major enhancement to the network as part of the Road Investment Strategy pipeline.

The last formal iteration of the business case for these proposals was developed in 2022/23. Affordability and deliverability assessments have been further tested since then to inform decision making and investment planning for RIS3 and beyond. The third Road Investment Strategy is due to be published in March 2026 and will include an updated pipeline of future enhancement schemes.

The most recent Ticketless Travel Survey data we hold for Greater Anglia covers rail industry period 5, starting on Sunday 26 July 2025, to rail industry period 7 ending Saturday 17 October 2025. The overall revenue-at-risk was £4.685 million, and the portion of revenue-at-risk is 3.527 per cent.

The evidence provided to the Secretary of State for Transport in relation to the A12 Widening Scheme by (a) the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and (b) other agencies, formed part of a much larger body of evidence that informed the Spending Review and subsequent decisions.

There are no plans to publish officials’ advice and evidence base to Ministers that informed the Spending Review and subsequent decisions, as has been the usual practice of successive administrations, including the one the Rt Hon Lady served in.

Detailed information on the analysis of the A12 widening scheme, conducted in accordance with the HM Treasury Green Book and the Department’s Transport Analysis Guidance, was published on the Planning Inspectorate’s website, available here: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/TR010060.

including travelling on Greater Anglia. We are also taking other steps, to improve rail travel for passengers. This includes rolling out tap in tap out contactless PAYG alongside making it much easier for passengers to feel confident they are buying the right ticket. Passengers will start to feel the benefits very soon – from 7 December easier to understand fares will be available across key routes.

Information on subsidy/premium for each operator will be published next year in the Department for Transport's annual report and accounts. Over each of the next five financial years I expect Greater Anglia to continue to grow passenger numbers and income. I expect Greater Anglia will remain a net contributor, with the exact contribution amounts and income levels to be agreed during the rolling business planning process.

The Government inherited a series of unfunded commitments, including on the A12.

In July 2025, the Government announced that following the conclusion of the Spending Review it had taken the difficult decision to cancel the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme, to provide certainty to the public.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) was notified at the time. The decision was based on evidence, to which MHCLG contributed, assessed against a wide range of criteria, including housing impacts.

The A12 scheme had been repeatedly deferred by the previous Government, in which the Rt Hon Member served.

Business case documents, costs, and benefit cost ratios for major schemes, including for the Strategic Road Network and for relevant schemes in the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline, are published on gov.uk.

The Department’s most recent formal assessment of the value for money (VfM) and benefit cost ratio (BCR) for the proposed A120 Braintree to A12 scheme was completed in February 2022.

Five options were assessed at the time, and the BCRs of each ranged from 1.52 – 2.37, meaning that the VfM range was medium to high. The costs and benefits values used at that time are now out of date, however, and BCRs and VfM ratings are only one part of the overall assessment of a scheme’s deliverability, alongside broader strategic considerations and affordability.

The Services Agreement will be made available on the Department for Transport website in due course.

The Services Agreement with the new public sector operator will come into force as Greater Anglia’s National Rail Contract expires and services transfer into public ownership on 12 October 2025. It will be made available on the Department for Transport website in due course.

Services Agreements have been designed to reflect the long-term public ownership of passenger services. A range of stakeholders were consulted and engaged in the design of the Services Agreement template, including train operating companies, DFT Operator Limited, Network Rail and passenger representatives. Services Agreements are customer-focused, performance-focused and will support the financial sustainability of the railways for taxpayers. The Agreements focus on the whole-industry outcomes we want operators to deliver and enable more decisions to be taken by those closest to passengers.

The Department is working with National Highways to bring the scheme to a close in an orderly way to end a long period of uncertainty for those affected. We are anticipating that the scheme will be substantially closed down by the end of 2026, with some activities closing down sooner.

National Highways will publish details on costs incurred in its Annual Report and Accounts in due course.