Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the Mayor of London on the potential merits of connecting Clapham Junction station to the Northern line.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Government remains committed to supporting London and the transport network on which it depends. We recently provided £485m in funding to support Transport for London’s (TfL) capital programme for 2025/26 and will continue to work with TfL to understand its capital funding needs, which will be considered at Phase 2 of the Spending Review. However, transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and TfL and it is for the Mayor to assess the merits of capital projects and make decisions on investment.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to consult organisations led by disabled people on an accessibility road map for rail travel.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Ensuring accessibility for all passengers is at the heart of the Government’s passenger-focussed approach. We know that the experience for disabled people when traveling on rail too often falls short of what is expected and what passengers deserve. We are committed to improving the experience for disabled passengers and have committed to publishing an accessibility roadmap to explain the actions we are taking to improve accessibility ahead of GBR.
We are working to define the approach to development of the roadmap, but I confirm we will engage with disabled people and key organisations, in line with our commitment in the House of Lords as part of the debate on the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act, in order to ensure that it addresses the issues and needs of passengers who require assistance.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to ticket office opening hours at Southeastern railway stations on commuters; and what steps her Department is taking to increase accessibility to ticket offices for disabled passengers across the rail network.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Southeastern ticket office changes were agreed under the previous Government. The Department is now examining these plans to ensure passengers remain supported.
We recognise the vital role ticket offices play in the journeys of people with disabilities, and ensuring accessibility for all passengers is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to announce stations that have been selected for Access for All Control Period 7 funding.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme. This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has determined the level of increase in rail fares for 2024.
Answered by Huw Merriman
We will continue to protect passengers from cost-of-living pressures and we will not increase next year’s rail fares by as much as the July RPI figure. Any increase will also be delayed until March 2024, temporarily freezing fares for passengers to travel at a lower price for the entirety of January and February as the Government continues with its plan to halve inflation.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to reduce the presence of guards on trains.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Government is committed to reforming outdated working practices and improving the operational and financial sustainability of the sector. Train operating companies as the employer can consider where roles can be more adaptable and flexible in future. The UK’s rail network is one of the safest in Europe and our commitment to safety will not change. We will never compromise the safety of passengers on our railways and as the industry takes forward reforms, safety remains a top priority for all parties.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to reallocate funds from HS2 to (a) improve accessibility across the rail network and (b) increase levels of Access for All funding.
Answered by Huw Merriman
As part of our recent Network North announcement, the Government confirmed £350m will be made available to improve the accessibility of our train stations. We are assessing over 300 nominations for Access for All funding beyond 2024. Successful nominations will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish its own impact assessment of the closure of rail ticket offices.
Answered by Huw Merriman
When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours – including closures – train operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of passengers who are disabled, and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. When consulting, operators should have also clearly considered other equality-related needs.
Operators prepared Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs), and these were available on train operator’s websites during the consultation. Government departments do not typically publish EIAs whilst policy is under development. We will consider publishing the EIA once we have considered the outcomes of the industry-led Ticketing and Settlement Agreement process.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish the impact assessment on the closure of rail ticket offices.
Answered by Huw Merriman
When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours – including closures – train operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of passengers who are disabled, and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. When consulting, operators should have also clearly considered other equality-related needs. Operators prepared Equality Impact Assessments, and these were available on their websites during the consultation.
Together with the industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. The consultation period has now closed, and we now expect train operators to work collaboratively with the passenger bodies in the coming weeks, to listen to the concerns raised and to refine their proposals accordingly.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of closing train station ticket offices in Battersea on the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of passenger rail travel in Battersea.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Industry is looking to make TVMs easier for passengers to use through upgrades and digitisation of more tickets and processes. Some TVMs have already been fitted with remote assistance facilities which can host a call with a remote ticket sales agent who can input customer requirements. Staff will remain available to help passengers to use TVMs or their own devices to purchase tickets.
When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours (including closures), the train operating companies are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers. This includes ensuring that passengers can easily buy the right ticket for the journey they want to make, with consideration of the product range available at the station and what support is available to help with purchase.