Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the new rail capacity created by the East Coast Main Line upgrade works will be allocated to open access rail services.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not specify the allocation of increased capacity. However, open access operators may apply to utilise available capacity alongside operators contracted by Government. It will then be a matter for Network Rail and the Office of Rail and Road to decide through the established systems and processes how capacity should ultimately be allocated.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support from the public purse the London and North Eastern Railway has received to maintain (a) existing railway operations and (b) timetable commitments in 2023-24.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As reported in their annual statement of accounts, London North Eastern Railway received £96 million in subsidy from the Department for Transport for the year 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of East Coast Main Line intercity passenger services are delivered by open access operators.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail have confirmed that within the current timetable, published in December 2023, 8.92% of East Coast Main Line intercity passenger services are delivered by Open Access operators.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what open access applications (a) are awaiting a decision from the Office of Rail and Road and (b) were approved in the last 12 months.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
There are currently 3 separate applications to run new open access services under consideration by the Office of Rail and Road: from Hull Trains to operate between Sheffield and London; Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway to operate between Wrexham and London; and Go-Op to operate between Taunton and Swindon/Weston-super-Mare. In the last 12 months, the ORR has approved Grand Union Trains’ application to run new open access services between London and Stirling, and also Grand Central’s application to make additional stops at Peterborough.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of GB intercity rail passenger services are delivered by open access operators.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail have confirmed that within the current timetable, published in December 2023, 7.16% of intercity passenger services across Great Britain are delivered by Open Access operators.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to release details of unused track access rights on the rail network so that new open access applications can be made.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail have recently updated their process to begin publishing details of all future access rights released under Part J of the Network Code on their website. The Office for Rail and Road also publish on their website details of consolidated contract and track access decisions which allow potential market entrants to identify new opportunities.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he pans to reply to the letters of 1 November and 6 December 2023 from the hon. member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of a constituent about the Coastguard and Border Force.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A response to your letters was sent on 16 January 2024. I apologise for the delay in responding.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of whether the number of commissioned service contracts in place under the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail be the same as the number of rail franchises operated under the previous system.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
It will be for Great British Railways to determine the number of Passenger Service Contracts let. The geographic and financial size of Passenger Service Contracts will reflect local markets and needs. Great British Railways will need to take account of the full range of operational, commercial and economic factors in making these decisions.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare of 21 January and 6 May 2021 on behalf of constituent, Paul Walton, on the impact of the pandemic on the aviation industry.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
A response to these letters was sent on 7 June.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment he has made of the (a) cost, (b) efficacy and (b) value of the (i) Operator of Last Resort and (ii) private sector operators.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Operator of Last Resort (OLR) function exists to discharge the Secretary of State’s Duties under Section 30 of the Railways Act 1993. In deciding whether to transfer an operator to the OLR, the Secretary of State has regard to the Statement of policy on the exercise of the Secretary of State's power under section 26(1) of the Railways Act 1993.
If an operator is transferred into the OLR, that operator is managed under contract by the Department for Transport in much the same way as private sector operators are. These contracts deal with issues of cost, efficacy and value on an operator by operator basis.