Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the punctuality changes to c2c rail services affecting Benfleet station between October 2025 – September 2026 compared to October 2024 – September 2025.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Performance across the c2c network has worsened over the summer months, this is primarily due to Soil Moisture Deficit (SMD) caused by extreme heat. SMD causes the track to become uneven, and to allow the trains to run safely speed restrictions are put in place. Speed restrictions are being removed as soon as possible.
c2c, as part of GBR Anglia, is now run on an integrated basis with Greater Anglia and Network Rail. This closer alignment between track and train will improve performance across the Anglia region and provide an overall better service for passengers. DFTO and Network Rail hold the integrated management of GBR Anglia to account for delivering the highest possible levels of service.
In March 2025, the Department made station specific performance information available, showing punctuality and cancellations at individual stations for the first time. This information can be found at: Performance at stations | ORR Data Portal.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to invest in rolling stock across c2c rail services during the remainder of this Parliament.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The recently published Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Strategy sets out a new, long-term, whole-system approach to decisions about passenger trains and the infrastructure that supports them, focused on delivering better outcomes for passengers and taxpayers.
c2c is currently assessing the feasibility and affordability of an interior refurbishment programme for its Class 357 fleet. Any such programme would be subject to approval and, if taken forward, would not be completed before 2030.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what record her Department has of the number of severely disrupted days on c2c rail services between October 2025 – September 2026 compared to October 2024 – September 2025; and how many of these days affected services to and from Benfleet station.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Office for Rail and Road publishes the Severe Disruption information here: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3157b-days-of-severe-disruption-by-sub-operator-periodic/
In the case of c2c, all the days with severe disruption can be assumed to have affected services to and from Benfleet. https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/performance
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled c2c rail services affecting Benfleet station and how this compares to other rail operators.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Office of Rail and Road publishes periodic station-level information on rail performance, including the percentage of scheduled trains which did not call at each station. This includes information for Benfleet station and c2c. The data can be found at: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/performance-at-stations.
The Department does not produce comparisons of cancellations at individual stations between train operators. Such comparisons need to be treated with care because operating characteristics vary between routes and operators.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on the number of daily on time services at Benfleet station between October 2025 – September 2026 compared to October 2024 – September 2025.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In March 2025, the Department made station specific performance information available, showing punctuality and cancellations at individual stations for the first time. This information can be found at: Performance at stations | ORR Data Portal.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of changes to value for money for passengers on c2c services since they were taken in to public ownership.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has set up the Department for Transport Operator to oversee and drive improvements in performance and financial sustainability for all publicly owned operators, including c2c. Considerations include areas such as fares, punctuality, customer experience and accessibility, all of which are regularly discussed and challenged directly with the operator.
Regulated rail fares have been frozen across England until March 2027, saving passengers £600 million and easing cost‑of‑living pressures, which c2c passengers benefit from.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the payments her Department will receive from c2c rail services in each of the next five years.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport (DfT) has not made a published estimate of the subsidy/premium for each operator in each of the next five years. Exact costs and income levels are agreed during the rolling business planning process. Information on subsidy/premium for each operator will be published next year in DfT's annual report and accounts.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of changes in passenger numbers on c2c rail services in each of the next ten years.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has not made or published a ten-year estimate of passenger numbers specifically for c2c rail services. Future passenger demand forecasts are developed as part of business planning, investment appraisals, and rail industry forecasting processes, but projections are subject to significant uncertainty and are not routinely published on an operator-by-operator basis for the next ten years.
However, over the next ten years we would expect c2c to continue to grow passenger numbers. Long-term planning strategic advice, such as the Essex Thameside Strategic Advice, is published on Network Rail's website.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what performance targets she has set for c2c rail services since nationalisation.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since being transferred into public ownership, c2c has continued to be monitored against the rail industry’s established performance measures, including punctuality & reliability, cancellations and passenger satisfaction, and remains subject to the same performance oversight arrangements as other publicly owned operators. All train operators are required to publish performance against targets on their website.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made a estimate of levels of congestion on the A13/A130 junction at Sadler’s Farm (a) now and (b) in each of the next 20 years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Whilst traffic management on the local road network is the responsibility of the local highway authority, the Department recognises that congestion affects daily journeys and economic growth. That is why Essex County Council is eligible for over £230 million in highways maintenance funding over the next four years.
More widely, the Department for Transport continues to legislate for new lane rental schemes to reduce congestion from roadworks and are devolving powers to mayors to establish future schemes, allowing local leaders to address congestion on their network.