Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with Crosscountry trains on the performance of its services.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Rail Minister met with the interim CrossCountry Managing Directors on 8 August 2024 and 28 March 2025 and the new Managing Director on 25 June 2025.
It has been made clear that CrossCountry need to deliver material improvements to their train services and for passengers. The operator is required to submit plans setting out how they will reduce the number of cancellations for which it is responsible.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of ending cross-country train contracts early.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Officials monitor all operators against the train service performance benchmarks in their contracts. CrossCountry performance in 2024 was not good enough so enforcement action was taken.
Cancellations have reduced since January 2025 but remain high, particularly at weekends. The operator knows it has much work to do to reduce cancellations and improve services. If CrossCountry does not meet performance obligations, the Department will not hesitate to take appropriate action in line with their contract.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the proportion of Crosscountry rail services that were overcrowded in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department receives regular information on how busy CrossCountry train services are, but not in the format requested. However, since the May timetable change, average loadings across the CrossCountry network have been broadly similar to those seen in 2019 and 2024.
The Department has funded 12 additional Voyager trains (60 carriages) for the CrossCountry network. The last of these entered service from May enabling the operator to offer thousands more seats each day.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 59834 on South West Main Line: Dawlish, if she will set out a timescale for when a decision on whether Stage Five of the rail resilience programme for Dawlish will receive funding will be reached.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are currently working to determine which rail enhancement projects will be taken forward following the conclusion of the Spending Review on 11 June. More information will be made public shortly.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to provide funding for the final phase of the South West Rail Resilience Programme.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Following the Chancellor’s Spending Review statement on 11 June we are now working to confirm our portfolio of rail enhancements, which will be announced shortly.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to provide funding for the Teign estuary project through the Local Transport Grant.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
At the Spending Review (SR), the government announced £2.3 billion across the SR period for the Local Transport Grant (LTG). Allocations have been published, and Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority have been allocated £40.9m. This is in addition to £4.7m the authority was allocated in 2025/26 through the Integrated Transport Block.
This funding is for maintaining and improving local transport infrastructure, delivering transport schemes that will boost growth. Local leaders can choose how to spend it, including on supporting new housing developments, improving public transport, and making streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Funding guidance will be issued later this year to support local areas in deciding how to best utilise their LTG allocations.
In addition, Active Travel England recently announced capital funding allocations for 2025/26 to local authorities through the Consolidated Active Travel Fund. Devon County Council’s allocation is £2.3m, and this can be used to support the delivery of high quality walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure as well as capability building measures and behaviour changes activities.
It is for Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority to decide how they wish to spend their LTG and Consolidated Active Travel Fund allocations, including on the Teign Estuary Project, alongside other priority projects in their Local Transport Plan.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 21418 on South West Main Line: Dawlish, what criteria she used for the decision not to include funding for phase 5 of the South West Rail Resilience Programme at Dawlish in the Spending Review 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Following the Chancellors’s statement on 11 June we are now working to confirm our wider portfolio of rail enhancements, which will be published as part of the government’s commitment to set out its overall infrastructure pipeline.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 on Question 21418 on South West Mainline: Dawlish, whether she plans to provide funding for phase 5 of the Dawlish south west rail resilience fund.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Following the Chancellors’s statement on 11 June we are now working to confirm our wider portfolio of rail enhancements, which will be published as part of the government’s commitment to set out its overall infrastructure pipeline.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to increase the number of full time equivalent examiners at the Newton Abbot Driving Test Centre in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport announced that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.
Since announcing these measures, DVSA has reintroduced overtime pay incentives for everyone delivering driving tests. The additional testing allowance scheme launched this month (June 2025).
The DVSA’s plan to reduce waiting times as set out in December last year, included recruiting and training 450 driving examiners (DE). As with all test centres in Great Britain, DVSA will assess the recruitment needs at Newton Abbot test centre when it launches any future recruitment campaigns.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of abolishing peak time pricing on rail fares to and from Devon.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Peak and off-peak fares are an important tool to manage demand and alleviate crowding on peak time services by encouraging those who can travel off-peak to do so. Any changes to rail policy need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers to ensure everyone gets a fair deal.