Lord Snape

We have been clear in the Plan for Rail White Paper we want to simplify the current mass of complicated fares and tickets, whilst protecting affordable turn up and go tickets and season tickets.

We will continue to work with the sector to tackle the challenges Keith Williams set out in the Plan for Rail, including improving fares, ticketing and retail.

We have been clear in the Plan for Rail White Paper that we want to simplify the current mass of complicated fares and tickets, whilst protecting affordable turn up and go tickets and season tickets.

We are engaging with wider industry, including independent rail retailers, as part of this work.

Avanti West Coast is replacing its current diesel powered trains with a new electric and electric/diesel hybrid bimodal fleet which will start operating in 2022/23. With the ability to switch seamlessly between electric and diesel power, the new fleet will ensure that there is no longer diesel operation on electrified lines in support of a drive to a cleaner environment.

We continue to work through design and development phases of these schemes and have already commenced construction works for electrification of some sections of the routes. We expect rail operators to deliver passenger and freight services with rolling stock that makes the best use of the available infrastructure, while considering operational requirements and the need to reduce industry emissions.

As we decarbonise the railway, we will design the rollout of further electrification of the Midland Main Line and the TransPennine Route Upgrade in such a way to allow the switchover from diesel to electric as soon as possible, although some services will not be able to switch immediately if they use multiple lines.

The Government fully recognises business concerns around increasing electricity prices, and we have been regularly engaging with Freightliner, amongst other Freight Operating Companies, on this issue and will continue to do so. It is however a commercial decision for private sector freight operators to decide whether or not to pause their use of some electric trains and return to using diesel trains due to the increased price of electricity. Freightliner has stated that this is a temporary measure and will be kept under review.

Despite Freightliner deciding to revert to diesel locomotives, rail freight remains one of the most carbon efficient ways of moving goods over long distances. To reduce congestion and emissions from across the freight sector, the Government continues to support the modal shift of freight from road to rail, including through the £20m Mode Shift Revenue Support grant scheme (2021/22) that supports the carriage of freight by rail and water on routes where road haulage has a financial advantage.

This Government is committed to going further and faster to tackle climate change than ever before. In our recently published Transport Decarbonisation Plan – the first such plan in the world – the Government committed to delivering a net zero railway by 2050. We will continue to build on the strong, green credentials of the rail sector by electrifying more of the network. Additionally, we committed to incentivising the take up of low carbon traction by the Freight Operating Companies and will be working with the rail freight industry as we develop potential policy interventions.

FCDO travel advice related to COVID-19 is based on the country assessments of Public Health England and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), the organisation mandated to provide health advice to British nationals travelling overseas. They judge the risks of exposure to COVID-19 in each country/territory. All FCDO travel advice pages remain under constant review to ensure they reflect the latest threat assessment to British nationals and include up-to-date information and advice.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against ocean cruising informed by public health risk assessments. This advice is kept under continuous review. The risk assessments to inform travel advice from Public Health England and the Department of Health and Social Care are not published separately.

The FCDO remains fully committed to working closely with the Department for Transport and key industry leaders, informed by the changing public health situation during this pandemic to agree on the steps required to restart cruises safely.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against ocean cruising informed by public health risk assessments. This advice is kept under continuous review. The risk assessments to inform travel advice from Public Health England and the Department of Health and Social Care are not published separately.

The FCDO remains fully committed to working closely with the Department for Transport and key industry leaders, informed by the changing public health situation during this pandemic to agree on the steps required to restart cruises safely.

The Government remains committed to boosting trend growth as the route to raising living standards and delivering high quality public services across the whole of the UK. The Government is also committed to tackling climate change and delivering on our obligations to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050.

The Chancellor has announced the Autumn Statement will be delivered on 17 November. This will contain the UK’s medium-term fiscal plan, which will include an assessment of UK growth, and will be accompanied by an OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

The Government recognises the rail network's important role in improving connectivity, empowering regional economies and driving growth. The Government is committed to maintaining, renewing and enhancing the rail network. In the Transport Decarbonisation Plan the Government committed to delivering a net zero rail network by 2050.