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 have discussions with Royal Mail on increasing its use of rail services.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are fully committed to supporting rail freight growth, recognising its significant economic and environmental potential. My officials regularly speak with major users of rail freight in the UK as part of our efforts to grow the rail freight industry.
We have previously discussed with Royal Mail their decision to retire their dedicated mail train fleet. However, as it is a private company, not owned nor controlled by the Government, the mode Royal Mail choose to utilise for transporting mail is a commercial decision for their business.
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 impact of the price of (a) rail and (b) road freight on rail freight operators in Devon.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Rail freight operations are typically long distance and cross-border in the UK. Under the Railways Bill, Government has proposed to place a duty on Great British Railways to promote the use of rail freight, meaning freight operators will benefit from a longer-term strategic approach to decision making on the railway which includes charging to use the network.
As part of our continued support for the wider freight sector, the Department has operated the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme (MSRS) since 2010. The scheme is designed to encourage modal shift by assisting with the operating costs associated with running rail or inland water freight transport instead of road, where rail or inland waterway transport is more expensive. The relative costs have been reviewed to ensure that the scheme continues to achieve its goal to support modal shift and are kept under review. Any matters relating to fuel duty comes under the remit of His Majesty’s Treasury.
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 Direct Rail Services' freight operations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the significant economic and environmental potential of rail freight and the critical role it plays in the UK’s resilience and is committed to supporting its growth. However, any freight operations run by Direct Rail Services (DRS) are an operational and commercial matter for DRS, and its parent company the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). NDA is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero.
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 impact of expanding rail freight in Devon on the economy.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government recognises that the economic and environmental potential of rail freight is significant and that is why we are committed to supporting its growth.
The Spending Review confirmed a number of infrastructure schemes across the country to help support the economy, housing and jobs. My officials, together with Network Rail, are continuing to work to assess and identify where there is the potential to grow rail freight across the network.
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 impact of expanding rail freight in Devon on the environment.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to supporting rail freight growth, recognising its significant economic and environmental potential and critical role in the UK’s resilience.
Work to develop options for investment and its potential impacts, including on the environment, is continuing, in conjunction with Network Rail. Once it is fully operational, my department will work with Great British Railways (GBR) to ensure that environmental considerations continue to be a priority.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the expansion of Rail Freight in Devon.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises that the economic and environmental potential of rail freight is significant and is committed to delivering growth and supporting modal shift to lower-carbon modes of freight transport. We have committed to the rail freight growth target of a 75% increase in freight moved by rail by 2050.
The recently laid Railways Bill sets out that the Secretary of State will provide GBR with growth targets for rail freight. As was the case during the development of the 2050 target, we will make informed forecasts about the future capability and capacity of the network. My officials, together with Network Rail, are continuing to work to identify where there is the potential for growth across the network for rail freight.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the letter of 26 November 2025 from We Own It to the Transport Committee, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the reported 6120 missing responses from the Railways Bill consultation.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
An assessment can be found in the Secretary of State’s letter to the Transport Select Committee of 11 November 2025. Her letter is available here: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/50296/documents/271772/default/.
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 expand rail electrification to Devon.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport is developing a Rolling Stock and Infrastructure strategy which will inform future electrification decisions across the country. We are working closely with Network Rail colleagues to identify the right decarbonisation approach for each line and to determine where infrastructure will be needed to support this decarbonisation.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help increase the punctuality of GWR services from London to Devon.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The rail Minister recently met with Great Western Railway and Network Rail to emphasise the need for improved punctuality on services, including those between London and Devon. A key challenge currently affecting performance is a significant issue with defective engines on Hitachi trains, which form the backbone of these routes. We are urging Great Western Railway to prioritise repairs and restore reliability as quickly as possible to deliver better service for passengers.
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 received on 14 November 2025 to written question 88030, as part of the formation of GBR will the government look to create a specific scheme for schools.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Railways Bill will safeguard existing statutory discounts for disabled persons, younger passengers and older passengers, which today are delivered via railcards. In relation to discount schemes generally, the government's intention is for Great British Railways to have the ability to respond to changing passenger requirements.