Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Office of Rail and Road on improving access for disabled people on LeShuttle services.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government engages regularly with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to discuss a range of matters and officials meet routinely to discuss the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority (CTSA) and ORR’s regulatory activities concerning Eurotunnel. The Government fully supports efforts to continually improve accessibility on Le Shuttle services.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will ensure that Great British Railways has a statutory accessibility duty.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Accessibility is a priority for this Government and we are committed to delivering a rail system which allows disabled people to travel easily, confidently and with dignity. The ongoing Railways Bill consultation is already clear that accessibility will be central to Great British Railways.
GBR will therefore be subject to requirements – either licence conditions
or statutory duties – to ensure this happens. That includes requirements relating to accessibility and engaging accessibility stakeholders.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of additional Southeastern services directly from Crayford to Abbey Wood.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department requires all train operators, including Southeastern, to plan services and timetables designed to meet passenger demand while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. Timetables are kept under review and, where appropriate, adjusted to reflect fluctuations in demand. As part of the recent December timetable change Southeastern introduced 12 extra Sidcup/ Greenwich line ‘rounder’ services in the morning and evening peaks. These trains provide direct services between Crayford and Abbey Wood, improving access to the Elizabeth Line and linking the Sidcup line with Cannon Street and New Cross. There are currently no further plans to introduce any additional direct services between Crayford and Abbey Wood.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of additional Southeastern services from London Charing Cross on the Bexleyheath line on the evening and weekend.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department requires all train operators, including Southeastern, to plan services and timetables designed to meet passenger demand while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. Timetables are kept under review and, where appropriate, adjusted to reflect fluctuations in demand. There are currently no plans to introduce additional services on this route in the evening or at weekends. However, as part of the forthcoming May timetable change Southeastern will introduce two new weekday services on the Bexleyheath line, as follows: