Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with East Midlands Railway regarding the restoration of regular train services between Lincoln and Newark Northgate following their withdrawal in the emergency timetable introduced in June 2021, resulting in gaps in services between Lincoln and London via Newark Northgate.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Officials and East Midlands Railway are having conversations regarding the restoration of train services between Lincoln and Newark Northgate. Reinstatement is dependent upon the implementation of the East Coast Main Line timetable recast and successful conclusion of the relevant industry and departmental processes.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any legal challenges or academic research regarding the Office of Road and Rail’s use of the 'not primarily abstractive' test when considering open access applications.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department is not aware of any legal challenges or academic research regarding the Office of Road and Rail’s use of the 'not primarily abstractive' test when considering open access applications.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether Hitachi is delivering its contracted number of trains to (1) Great Western Railway, and (2) London North Eastern Railway.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Hitachi works closely with the train operators to deliver the required number of trains for service to Great Western Railway and London North-eastern Railway. Where Hitachi is responsible for any shortfall, contractual mechanisms are in place so that the operator only pays for the trains it receives each morning.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the reduction in passenger journeys on Southeastern trains between 2019 and 2024, whether action is being taken to match resources to demand and reduce the subsidy required from the taxpayer.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department requires its operators, including Southeastern, to match resources to passenger demand and carefully balance cost, capacity and performance in order to maximise value for money for the taxpayer.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much of the money refunded to privately franchised train operators or open access operators within the last two months under Schedule 4 or Schedule 8 arrangements in Track Access Agreements come from public funds.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Schedule 4 and 8 payments are made by Network Rail and therefore always come from public funds.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their franchise agreement with Great Western Railway allows for the running of suburban multiple units on their inter-city services.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Great Western Railway is expected to best match available capacity to available demand. Whilst nearly all inter-city services are operated using Intercity Express Trains, several services between London and Cardiff are operated using alternative 110mph capable rolling stock to retain traincrew route and traction knowledge. This retains the ability to use said alternative rolling stock during special events in Cardiff when passenger demand necessitates increased capacity which cannot be accommodated using only Intercity Express Trains.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much of the money that has been refunded to passengers under the Delay Repay scheme during the last two months has come from services under public ownership.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government does not currently hold data on the compensation that has been paid to passengers in the last two months, as data on the compensation paid by train operating companies is collected annually, at the end of each financial year.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to announce their policy on buses to ensure that the Traffic Commissioners have sufficient notice before timetable changes need to be made.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As announced in the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024, the government will introduce a Buses Bill later this session. This will put the power over bus services in the hands of local leaders across England, ensuring networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them. The Bill will increase powers available to local leaders to choose the model that works best in their area, whether that be franchising, high-quality partnerships with private operators or local authority ownership. The government will ensure that stakeholders, including the Traffic Commissioners, are properly engaged on the proposals during the Bill's development.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the leasing market for rolling stock may develop in future; and what assessment have they made of the experiences of rolling stock procurement (1) by Transport for London, (2) by the private sector, or (3) abroad.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government will expect Great British Railways when it is operating to deliver the best outcomes for the taxpayer. This will include formulating a long term plan for railway rolling stock, giving greater certainty over long term life, monitoring the leasing market and financing options on a continuing basis, as well as learning lessons from international comparators where relevant. It is expected that this will enable a better market and a reduction in costs to the public purse.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the bus industry when the £2 bus fare cap comes to an end on 31 December.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Delivering reliable and affordable public transport services for passengers is one of the Government’s top priorities and we know how important this is for passengers and for local growth. The Government is urgently considering the most effective and affordable ways to deliver on these objectives.