Information broken down by: Train operator and type of subsidy
  • (a) Subsidy paid directly to train operators by Government
  • Figures published by the Office of Rail Regulation based on passenger kilometres, converted to miles.
  • (b) An allocation of the Network Grant (that is, payments made directly to Network Rail)
  • This is calculated by taking the total Network Grant, apportioned according to each franchise’s share of Fixed Track Access Charges.
Rail subsidy per passenger mile by Train Operating Company (TOC)1
a b c (= a + b)
Government Subsidy per passenger mile (pence) Network Grant per passenger mile (pence) Total subsidy per passenger mile (pence)
Train Operating Company
2010-11

2011-12

2010-11

2011-12

2010-11

2011-12
c2c
-1.1

-2.0
7.1

7.0
6.0

5.0
Chiltern Railways
-2.9

1.0
13.1

12.4
10.1

13.5
CrossCountry
1.6

0.3
15.2

14.7
16.9

15.0
East Coast
-5.8

-6.2
6.5

6.6
0.7

0.5
East Midlands Trains
-1.7

-3.0
14.2

13.7
12.5

10.8
First Capital Connect
-6.8

-7.6
5.9

5.4
-0.9

-2.2
First Greater Western
-3.0

-3.0
9.2

8.8
6.2

5.8
First TransPennine Express
8.4

8.0
12.5

12.1
20.9

20.1
Greater Anglia2
-

-4.2
-

8.1
-

3.9
London Midland
5.8

5.0
11.9

10.7
17.8

15.8
National Express East Anglia2
-4.5

-3.5
8.8

8.6
4.2

5.1
Northern Rail
5.4

7.3
28.6

27.6
34.0

34.9
Southeastern
8.8

3.4
9.9

9.7
18.7

13.0
Southern
-4.0

-0.6
7.4

7.0
3.5

6.4
South West Trains
-5.2

-6.4
7.6

7.4
2.4

0.9
Virgin Trains
-4.7

-4.5
8.4

8.1
3.7

3.6
Total DfT franchised TOCs
-1.8
-2.1
9.9

9.6
8.1

7.5
1. Negative figures reflect where train operators were paying a premium to DfT rather than receiving a subsidy.
2. The National Express East Anglia franchise ended on 5 February 2012 when Greater Anglia took over the franchise.

 A subsidy of 35p per passenger mile is paid for every Northern Rail journey
This money is in addition to the fare paid by the passenger.