Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Heidi Alexander and Charlie Dewhirst

Thursday 13th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Charlie Dewhirst (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con)]

T4.   Open access operators such as Hull Trains offer excellent, cheap, unsubsidised inter-city services to locations across the north, so why are Ministers trying to block their expansion and stifle growth?

[Heidi Alexander]

There is a balance to be struck here. I welcome services such as those that run to Hull; they open up new routes and new connectivity. I have, however, asked the Office of Rail and Road to consider the balance in the revenue that they abstract from public operators, and to ensure that we are using constrained capacity in our network appropriately to deliver excellent services for passengers.