John Lamont
Main Page: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)Department Debates - View all John Lamont's debates with the Department for Transport
(1 day, 14 hours ago)
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Heidi Alexander
Thanks to my hon. Friend’s steadfast support, major works are under way: renewing electrification, installing axle counters and improving drainage to prevent flooding. Those upgrades will boost Thameslink’s reliability, including for services to his constituency. I can also tell him that driver numbers have risen by 50 since July 2024. We will continue to press Govia Thameslink Railway to strengthen performance and cut cancellations.
John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)
I continue to hear from residents and businesses about the timetable changes at Berwick-upon-Tweed station, in particular the loss of many direct services from Berwick down to London. What economic assessment is the Department undertaking of how those changes are working?
Heidi Alexander
The hon. Gentleman is right to reflect on the fact that a reliable and frequent train service is important to economic growth. I would be happy to speak about the detail of those particular changes with the Rail Minister and come back to him, including on whether there are any potential mitigations we could bring in.