Rail Performance

Rebecca Smith Excerpts
Monday 11th November 2024

(2 days, 11 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nusrat Ghani Portrait Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
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I call Select Committee member Rebecca Smith.

Rebecca Smith Portrait Rebecca Smith (South West Devon) (Con)
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It has recently been brought to my attention that in Great Western Railway, which serves my constituency in Devon, drivers do not have contracts that ensure a seven-day-a-week service—the contracts do not include Sundays, so trains are regularly cancelled. In fact, four trains were cancelled yesterday, so one lady had been forced to catch the first train today instead. What plans does the Secretary of State have to equalise driver contracts under Great British Railways, to ensure that routes such as Paddington to Devon are fully staffed seven days a week, so that she can fulfil her promise to passengers?

Louise Haigh Portrait Louise Haigh
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The hon. Lady is absolutely right, and unfortunately that is the picture across too much of our railways. The workforce terms and conditions are simply not fit for purpose. Part of our inheritance is that we do not have a workforce that can deliver a modern and efficient railway. We are working with Great Western Railway to address that egregious issue, and we will come back to the House shortly to set out our progress.