Asked by: Lord Booth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow competition for open access operators on the Great Western Railway route from Cornwall to London.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
We are clear that there will continue to be a role for Open Access Operators in the reformed railway, providing innovation and choice for passengers. Access to the network is currently determined by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in accordance with its statutory duties, and the Department cannot direct ORR in its decision-making.
Under rail reform, this will change as Great British Railways (GBR) takes over responsibility for managing access to the network and ORR takes on a new role to hold GBR to account and ensure fairness and transparency for all operators. GBR’s role will include consideration of any future applications for Open Access services across the entire rail network, including on the Great Western Railway route.
Open Access Operators will continue to be able to propose new services, and, where these represent best use of the network and offer genuine benefits to passengers, we would expect GBR to grant access and enable competition.
Asked by: Lord Booth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 10 April (HL6032), what estimate they have made of the annual cost of the Passenger Standards Authority.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The consultation on the Railways Bill closed on 15 April, and as part of this we sought views on the creation of a new passenger watchdog. We are currently considering the responses and the best way of establishing the Watchdog. This will include the consideration of costs.
Asked by: Lord Booth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the level of growth expected during this parliament as a result of the expansion of Gatwick Airport to two runways.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
An application for a Development Consent Order has been made by Gatwick Airport Limited to bring their existing Northern runway into routine use alongside their main runway.
The Planning Inspectorate submitted its recommendation report to the Department for Transport on 27 November 2024 and the Secretary of State for Transport has until the 27 February 2025 to make a decision.
As this is a live planning application, it would not be appropriate to comment.