Oral Answers to Questions

Penny Mordaunt Excerpts

Thursday 5th May 2011 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt (Portsmouth North) (Con)]

5. What plans he has for the reform of rail franchising; and if he will make a statement.

[Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)]

6. What plans he has for the reform of rail franchising; and if he will make a statement.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Philip Hammond)]

The Government published “Reforming Rail Franchising: response to consultation and policy statement” on 19 January this year. In it we set out, among other things, our commitment to longer franchises, less prescriptive service requirements, and the transfer of stations to train operators. The Department is now considering, within the framework, the detailed invitation to tender for the intercity west coast franchise.

[Penny Mordaunt]

Since the Adjournment debate on South West Trains, I have received thousands of letters and e-mails from long-suffering passengers around the country who are having to put up with suburban trains on mainline routes. Is it not time that we had minimum standards of comfort set out in rail franchise agreements, and should not companies that ignore such concerns not have their franchises renewed?

[Mr Hammond]

I appreciate my hon. Friend’s campaign on that point, but the simple fact is that on many of our suburban railways, particularly those going into London, we have limited capacity. Trains are already at maximum length, and the number of train paths is already at the maximum capacity of the railway. Taking out seats to make them larger, which I think is my hon. Friend’s point, would simply mean more commuters standing, and those commuters who join the train closer to London are vehemently against that, so the Government have no plans at the moment to specify the size or configuration of seats in commuter trains.