Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Jackson of Peterborough Excerpts

Thursday 15th September 2016 Commons Chamber

[Paul Maynard]

As a fellow north-west MP, I am sure the hon. Lady shares my interest in seeing the back of our inefficient and unpleasant Pacers, and she will welcome the fact they will be disappearing by December 2019. I hope she will also welcome the improvement on the Calder Valley line, which will occur in two phases: Calder Valley East in December 2018 and Calder Valley West completing this year—a full upgrade to signalling and speed on the line.

[Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough) (Con)]

T8. The public consultation on the 2018 Great Northern timetable launches today, but I understand that the platform 5 turn-back facility at Stevenage may not be completed on schedule, jeopardising the promise of additional semi-fast trains to Peterborough. Can the Minister intervene and persuade Hertfordshire local enterprise partnership and Network Rail to sort this problem out as a matter of urgency?

[Chris Grayling]

I have recently been made aware of this situation. I do not want to see the timetable held back, and I will be engaging with all those involved to see how we address the issue.