Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department made of the potential impact of onboard connectivity and mobile signal coverage on productivity and passenger experience on long-distance rail services in the South West.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is committed to improving on-train Wi-Fi for passengers, including on the Great Western Railways route, where poor connectivity remains an issue. That is why we have secured £57 million as part of the recent Spending Review to improve on train Wi-Fi using low earth orbit satellite connectivity on our mainline trains, which will include services on the Great Western Railways route. Officials have also been working with the Peninsula Taskforce and Motion Applied on the trial Peninsula Taskforce funded to test low earth orbit and 5G connectivity. The tests on the train itself have evidently been successful. Other operators, such as London North Eastern Railways, have also shown that low earth orbit technology provides high speeds – up to 200 megabits per second, enabling passengers to receive a much better mobile connection through the on-train Wi-Fi than they receive today.
Network Rail's Project Reach will also address mobile connectivity in 57 key mainline tunnels, which include ones on the Great Western Railways route, and this will complement the low earth orbit solution.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the pilot of enhanced onboard Wi-Fi services on Great Western Railway routes in the South West and South Wales.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is committed to improving on-train Wi-Fi for passengers, including on the Great Western Railways route, where poor connectivity remains an issue. That is why we have secured £57 million as part of the recent Spending Review to improve on train Wi-Fi using low earth orbit satellite connectivity on our mainline trains, which will include services on the Great Western Railways route. Officials have also been working with the Peninsula Taskforce and Motion Applied on the trial Peninsula Taskforce funded to test low earth orbit and 5G connectivity. The tests on the train itself have evidently been successful. Other operators, such as London North Eastern Railways, have also shown that low earth orbit technology provides high speeds – up to 200 megabits per second, enabling passengers to receive a much better mobile connection through the on-train Wi-Fi than they receive today.
Network Rail's Project Reach will also address mobile connectivity in 57 key mainline tunnels, which include ones on the Great Western Railways route, and this will complement the low earth orbit solution.
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 support the rollout of enhanced onboard Wi-Fi services across Great Western Railway routes.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is committed to improving on-train Wi-Fi for passengers, including on the Great Western Railways route, where poor connectivity remains an issue. That is why we have secured £57 million as part of the recent Spending Review to improve on train Wi-Fi using low earth orbit satellite connectivity on our mainline trains, which will include services on the Great Western Railways route. Officials have also been working with the Peninsula Taskforce and Motion Applied on the trial Peninsula Taskforce funded to test low earth orbit and 5G connectivity. The tests on the train itself have evidently been successful. Other operators, such as London North Eastern Railways, have also shown that low earth orbit technology provides high speeds – up to 200 megabits per second, enabling passengers to receive a much better mobile connection through the on-train Wi-Fi than they receive today.
Network Rail's Project Reach will also address mobile connectivity in 57 key mainline tunnels, which include ones on the Great Western Railways route, and this will complement the low earth orbit solution.
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 10 February 2026 to Question 108386 on the Dawlish sea wall, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of updated assessments indicating that seven areas of damage were identified following Storm Ingrid and other recent severe weather events; and how this affects her Department’s plans for long‑term coastal resilience improvements along this section of railway.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government recognises the importance of a resilient railway that passengers can rely on. Significant government investment has already ensured the South West coastline is better protected against extreme weather, boosting the region’s connectivity and economy for years to come. The new Dawlish sea wall successfully withstood its biggest test during the recent disruptive weather in January 2026, with the structure performing as designed. There were only two significant areas of damage; on the sea wall at Dawlish and near the line at Teignmouth. Urgent repairs were undertaken by Network Rail, which has responsibility to ensure the railway is safe and reliable. The Department will continue to work in partnership with Network Rail to ensure the line remains resilient and is fit for purpose for the local communities it serves.
More broadly, the Wales and Western Region will see a £2.6 billion asset renewals programme and £1.6 billion invested to maintain existing assets during Control Period 7. Network Rail is also addressing severe weather events through a comprehensive weather resilience and climate change adaption plan, focusing on safeguarding assets, embedding resilience into daily operations, and adapting to climate change impacts across the route.
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 12 February 2026, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of doubling fixed‑penalty notices and extending overrun charges for utility companies whose roadworks exceed agreed deadlines.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has recently strengthened the powers available to local highway authorities through the Street and Road Works (Charges and Penalties) (Amendments) (England) Regulations 2025. These measures are intended to support councils in coordinating utility works more effectively and encourage timely completion of roadworks, including during major transport infrastructure projects.
These enforcement powers operate alongside lane rental schemes, which allow authorities to charge up to £2,500 per day for works on the busiest roads at the busiest times.
As the Regulations only came into force in January 2026, it is too early to assess their full impact. The Department will review the strengthened penalty regime and the expanding use of lane rental schemes as evidence becomes available, to ensure they collectively support more efficient coordination of street works and reduce disruption to road users.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of county councils’ statutory powers to coordinate utility works during major transport infrastructure projects.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has recently strengthened the powers available to local highway authorities through the Street and Road Works (Charges and Penalties) (Amendments) (England) Regulations 2025. These measures are intended to support councils in coordinating utility works more effectively and encourage timely completion of roadworks, including during major transport infrastructure projects.
These enforcement powers operate alongside lane rental schemes, which allow authorities to charge up to £2,500 per day for works on the busiest roads at the busiest times.
As the Regulations only came into force in January 2026, it is too early to assess their full impact. The Department will review the strengthened penalty regime and the expanding use of lane rental schemes as evidence becomes available, to ensure they collectively support more efficient coordination of street works and reduce disruption to road users.
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 has made an assessment of the potential impact of dynamic pricing practices used by airlines during school holiday periods on families with school-aged children.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK aviation sector operates as a private market, with airlines independently determining their routes and fare structures. The Minister for Aviation and DfT officials regularly meet airlines to discuss a range of topics, including pricing.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has statutory competition functions in relation to airline markets. The CMA and the CAA both have responsibilities for enforcing consumer protections relating to price transparency, contract terms and passenger rights, including those during flight disruption.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the phase 5 rail resilience programme in the context of water levels in 2026.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We remain committed to concluding the works necessary on this route to mitigate the remaining risks identified in the Southwest Rail Resilience Programme.
Network Rail is commencing work on a drainage trial, removing water from a section of the cliffs between Parsons Tunnel and Teignmouth. This trial, along with further ground investigation work, will provide detailed data to inform consideration of a proposal for a long-term solution in due course.
Despite the intensity of recent weather, the railway was only closed during the storms themselves, and the impact on the area covered by Phase 5 of the Programme did not affect the availability of the line.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will meet with Network Rail to discuss funding for the final phase of the South West Resilience Programme in the context of storm Ingrid.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Departmental officials meet with Network Rail regularly to discuss and review investment proposals across the Western route. While the cliffs at Teignmouth were not affected by storms Ingrid and Chandra, officials are monitoring progress with the drainage and ground investigations work we have funded so far on Phase 5 of the South West Rail Resilience Programme, which will inform options for a longer-term solution. The investment made to date in storm resilience around Dawlish after storms in 2014 has significantly improved resilience in this area and held up well despite the frequency of recent storms and their intensity. Nevertheless, Network Rail will continue to plan for similar events and pursue actions to keep the railway running reliably.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the recent damage to the Dawlish sea wall and related coastal infrastructure in Devon caused by Storm Ingrid and other severe weather events; and what plans her Department has to support long-term coastal resilience improvements for that infrastructure.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The £165 million of investment into storm resilience around Dawlish after storms in 2014 has significantly improved resilience in this area. Despite the frequency of recent storms and their intensity, the works done since 2014 held up well and there were only two areas of damage, one a low wall between the coastal path and the railway, and the other a small breach some distance from the line, both of which have been made safe. The railway was not closed for long other than during the storms themselves, and held up remarkably well, a tribute to the works done since 2014. Nevertheless, Network Rail will continue to plan for similar events and pursue actions to keep the railway running reliably.