Asked by: James Davies (Conservative - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the re-allocation of good-quality diesel-powered rolling stock following the electrification of railway lines.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
It is a matter for operators to procure appropriate rolling stock to operate their services. Electrification can typically lead to significant fleet changes and the Department supports the opportunities presented by the cascade of displaced trains from newly electrified routes. However, we expect train owners and manufacturers to develop cost effective proposals to convert their diesel trains to bi-mode or use alternative energy sources.
Asked by: James Davies (Conservative - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with local stakeholders on the future of the North Wales Coast Main Line.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
My officials maintain active and constructive engagement with stakeholders including the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales. Development work undertaken by my department has been openly shared with stakeholders and the GrowthTrack360 Alliance. I have encouraged Network Rail to examine ways to facilitate capacity, performance, and journey time improvements across the region, building on recent major signalling and track renewals, and remain happy to engage with stakeholders on their own proposals, and to provide advice on how these might be funded in the future.
Asked by: James Davies (Conservative - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he will take to increase (a) line speed and (b) capacity on the North Wales Coast Main Line.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
I am pleased to say that I have recently approved the progression of a relevant railway enhancement scheme to the next stage of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline. My department is willing to fund the development of an Outline Business case for interventions aimed at increasing line speed and capacity on the North Wales Coast Main Line. We have engaged with stakeholders in Wales on the specification of this work, and will maintain such engagement as it proceeds over the next twelve to eighteen months.
Asked by: James Davies (Conservative - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to support private coach and bus companies facing financial difficulty as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government is supporting essential bus services across England with a funding package totalling £397 million.
In March the Chancellor announced £330 billion of guarantees, so businesses, such as coach operators, have access to the funds to pay essential bills. This includes the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which has been extended until the end of October.