Gareth Bacon

No decisions have been made on the timetable that will operate when HS2 opens. Train service options for HS2 and the broader West Coast Main Line will be made available in due course, and will be informed by consultation.

The Department for Transport is working with key partners to develop affordable, integrated plans for Euston Station, which will comprise the new HS2 station, an upgraded Network Rail station and enhancements to the London Underground station and local transport facilities along with a significant level of development. We will set out more details in due course.

In parallel, HS2 Ltd is progressing with preparations of the Euston Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) at Old Oak Common, with tunnelling scheduled to commence in 2026.

No decisions have been made on the timetable that will operate when HS2 opens, including for the named stations on the West Coast Main Line. Detailed planning remains underway ahead of government decisions that will be made in due course, informed by consultation.

As a private sector, the introduction of new forms of aircraft is primarily a matter for industry. The Government is however supportive of new forms of zero-emission aircraft being brought into commercial use.

The Department for Business and Trade is co-investing with industry through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme in R&D on aerospace technology, including projects focussed on zero emission aircraft. The budget confirmed a five-year extension to the programme with nearly £1bn funding.

In addition, the Civil Aviation Authority’s Hydrogen in Aviation Regulatory Challenge is being supported by a £0.9m grant from the Government’s Regulatory Pioneers Fund. Future government funding will be considered within the ongoing Spending Review.

The Government is supportive of new forms of zero-emission aircraft being brought into commercial use.

The Department for Business and Trade is co-investing with industry through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme in R&D on aerospace technology, including projects focussed on zero emission aircraft. The budget confirmed a five-year extension to the programme with nearly £1bn funding.

In addition, from January 2025 the use of low carbon hydrogen as an aviation fuel is eligible for reward under the SAF mandate where it meets sustainability criteria. The Civil Aviation Authority’s Hydrogen in Aviation Regulatory Challenge is being supported by a £0.9m grant from the Government’s Regulatory Pioneers Fund. Future government funding will be considered within the ongoing Spending Review.

The Jet Zero Taskforce Expert Group, convening representatives from government, industry, and academia with an interest in aviation decarbonisation, have agreed to establish a dedicated group to unlock barriers to the commercial operation of zero-carbon hydrogen aircraft.

The Department for Transport has not made a comparative assessment of trends in operational trials nor infrastructure development.

The Government is supportive of new forms of zero-emission aircraft being brought into commercial use.

The Department for Business and Trade is co-investing with industry through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme in R&D on aerospace technology, including projects focussed on zero emission aircraft. The budget confirmed a five-year extension to the programme with nearly £1bn funding.

In addition, from January 2025 the use of low carbon hydrogen as an aviation fuel is eligible for reward under the SAF mandate where it meets sustainability criteria. The Civil Aviation Authority’s Hydrogen in Aviation Regulatory Challenge is being supported by a £0.9m grant from the Government’s Regulatory Pioneers Fund. Future government funding will be considered within the ongoing Spending Review.

The Jet Zero Taskforce Expert Group, convening representatives from government, industry, and academia with an interest in aviation decarbonisation, have agreed to establish a dedicated group to unlock barriers to the commercial operation of zero-carbon hydrogen aircraft.

The Department for Transport has not made a comparative assessment of trends in operational trials nor infrastructure development.

A copy of the Remedial Agreement letter between the Secretary of State and XC Trains Limited, dated 9 August 2024, has been published on the GOV.UK website. The Remedial Agreement between the Secretary of State and XC Trains Limited runs from August 2024 to March 2025.

Regular contract payments will take account of the increase in the cost of changes to employer National Insurance contributions made at the Autumn Budget 2024.

Funding for the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme will be determined as part of the ongoing departmental business planning process for the financial year 2025/26. We will share more when we are able to do so.

Maritime has a key role to play in supporting the Governments missions, from clean energy, to growth, and supporting public health through tackling air pollution. We will shortly set our next steps for reducing the emissions from both shipping and the wider maritime sector in a forthcoming maritime decarbonisation plan, which will include a package of policy and regulatory measures.

We know that too often assistance for passengers falls short of what they need and what they deserve. Train and station operators are required by their operating licences to establish and comply with an Accessible Travel Policy (ATP) which must be approved by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).  An ATP sets out, amongst other things, the arrangements and assistance that an operator will provide to protect the interests of disabled people using its services and to facilitate such use and is enforceable by the ORR.

Going forward this Government will take advantage of the benefits of an integrated and unified network to deliver a more reliable and consistent customer experience for everyone with accessibility needs. Lord Hendy committed to developing a roadmap for accessibility during the passage of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act, and this is part of our customer-focused approach to the much-needed reform of the railways.

The Secretary of State has not held discussions or met with her counterpart in Scotland since her appointment on 29th November. Louise Haigh held discussions with her Scottish counterpart.

The Department for Transport’s Organisational AI Programme, sets out a holistic framework for the adoption of AI within the Department itself, and shares learning across the wider operational agencies and arm’s length bodies. It is led and coordinated out of the Decarbonisation, Technology and Strategy Group.

The HS2 Environmental Minimum Requirements contain a range of controls to ensure compliance with (amongst other things) the environmental provisions in the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act. More information is available in the HS2 Information Paper E1: Control of Environmental Impacts https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a82e5cae5274a2e87dc386e/E1_-_Control_of_Environmental_Impacts_v1.7.pdf

HS2 Ltd publishes regular reports on compliance with the Code of Construction Practice provisions on managing noise, vibration, air quality and dust impacts on local communities. Latest reports are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/monitoring-the-environmental-effects-of-hs2-2024. This is supplemented by annual reports setting out an assessment of how the HS2 programme is affecting the environment, how contractors are reducing their impact and examines progress in setting and meeting environmental controls. These reports are available here: https://www.hs2.org.uk/documents/collections/hs2-environmental-sustainability-progress-reports/

HS2 Ltd is required by the General Principles of the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Environmental Minimum Requirements to report any new significant environmental effects that exceed those which were reported in the Phase 1 Environmental Statement (as amended). A Supplementary Environmental Information report for each case is published on Gov.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sei-reports-for-new-significant-environmental-effects-on-the-hs2-phase-one-route.

Following the opening of Ashington and Seaton Delaval on 15 December, the final four stations on the Northumberland line at Newsham, Blyth Bebside, Bedlington, and Northumberland Park are expected to open next year.

Passenger trains will return to the Northumberland Line from Sunday 15 December 2024. The stations at Ashington and Seaton Delaval will open from that date with regular services to and from Newcastle. This is a major boost to the region and for the local communities bringing with it greater opportunities for employment, education and leisure activities plus attracting significant private sector investment.