Lord Adonis, with his slight frame and cerebral manner, may not conform to the traditional image of an enforcer. Yet the transport secretary is determined to prove he will not show any quarter to rail companies that try to wriggle out of franchise agreements.

“The industry needed to know that I am not a soft touch,” says Lord Adonis in an interview with the Financial Times. “We will not be agreeing sweetheart deals with companies that would dearly like to receive subsidies over and above their entitlements.”