Transport Connectivity: Midlands and North Wales

Debate between Simon Lightwood and Catherine Atkinson

Thursday 22nd January 2026 Westminster Hall

[Simon Lightwood]

I have a lot to get through, and I would really like to respond to the right hon. Member’s points in due course.

Exciting progress is already visible because this Government is backing Mayor Richard Parker’s plans. Metro extensions, new rail stations, the Dudley Interchange and a new active travel corridor are transforming connectivity for millions across the region. Connectivity, however, does not stop at mayoral boundaries. Through the consolidated transport fund, all local transport authorities will benefit from more predictable, flexible and aligned funding. More than £1.3 billion will be delivered across the west midlands by 2029-30 to strengthen the links between our towns, cities and rural areas.

To embed this investment, we will soon set out the integrated national transport strategy, mentioned by the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Mid Buckinghamshire (Greg Smith). It is a people-centred approach that recognises that different regions face different challenges. It will focus on reliability, safety and accessibility, and closer alignment between transport, housing, healthcare and public services, ensuring that connectivity supports equality and opportunity for everyone.

We are the country that created the railways, and they are an iconic part of the heritage of the west midlands. Through Great British Railways, we are building a simpler, more unified railway that delivers reliable, safe and better-value journeys for local people, putting local priorities front and centre to deliver what communities actually need. In that context, the midlands rail hub is a clear example of how targeted rail investment underpins economic growth and housing delivery.

[Catherine Atkinson]

Will my hon. Friend give way?

[Simon Lightwood]

I am going to stay consistent. Members have made a lot of points, and I would like to respond to them. I have a lot to cover.

In July 2025, the Chancellor committed to progressing to the next stage of the midlands rail hub. Once delivered, it will enable up to 300 additional trains each day to travel in and out of central Birmingham, as well as improving services at 50 stations, transforming regional connectivity and providing the capacity needed to unlock sustainable growth.

The right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills will know the difficult decision this Government inherited on HS2. Past mismanagement had led to significant cost increases and delays. Nevertheless, this Government have taken decisive action to reset the programme and progress delivery at the lowest reasonable cost. Recognising the importance of strengthening connectivity between the west midlands and the north-west, on 14 January, as part of our plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail, we set out our long-term intention to deliver a full, new rail line between Birmingham and Manchester.

I appreciate that taking this responsible, long-term decision on future capacity needs on the west coast main line will prolong the uncertainty for residents and businesses along the route. We will listen to the concerns of businesses, residents and hon. Members when making decisions about land powers, and we will work with them, and with HS2, to ensure that we minimise the disruption to people’s lives as far as possible. I understand that a number of affected hon. Members are meeting the Secretary of State and the Rail Minister next week to discuss this issue, and I thank them for raising some of those concerns today.

We also recognise that railways in Wales have seen lower levels of enhancement spending in recent years, and we are taking action to put that right. The 2025 spending review and infrastructure strategy recognised Wales’s long-term infrastructure needs and committed to delivering at least £445 million of rail enhancements to realise them. That funding will invest in both north and south Wales, fixing level crossings, building new stations and upgrading existing lines. The plans for future rail investment in Wales are being made in close consultation with the Welsh Government, who will be consulted ahead of the next spending review so that Wales’s long-term infrastructure needs continue to be recognised.

We also recognise the interest of the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills in open-access applications for Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway. Open access will continue to have a role in the reformed rail sector, and we understand the potential connectivity benefits that the Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway proposals could deliver. We have provided conditional support for that application, subject to the ORR and Network Rail being satisfied that services can be accommodated without compromising network performance or adversely affecting the rights of other operators.

Buses remain the backbone of public transport, and they are the everyday lifelines that keep our communities connected. The Bus Services Act puts passengers firmly in control, driving better services and stronger local accountability. From ’26-27, over £3 billion in funding will boost local services nationwide, including £700 million in local authority bus grants. The west midlands alone will receive £264 million to improve reliability, coverage and affordability. For the first time, our funding formula recognises rurality, ensuring that isolated and underserved communities get the support they need.

Cars are, of course, the most common and dependable way for people to get around. Well-maintained road networks keep our economy moving and daily life running smoothly. By ’29-30, we will be investing over £2 billion every year in local road maintenance, which is double what we inherited. That will give councils four-year certainty over their funding, so that they can shift from patching up potholes to making sure—

[Catherine Atkinson]

According to the RAC, Derbyshire has the worst potholes in the country. East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward has announced £121 million for road maintenance, which is a 60% uplift on last year’s funding. But with Reform in control of the county council, the number of potholes in Derbyshire is still absolutely abysmal. With both our mayor and our Government giving the funding that is needed, how can we ensure that local authorities such as Reform-led Derbyshire county council actually get on and fill our potholes?

[Simon Lightwood]

My hon. Friend is right to recognise the historic levels of funding going into local areas, which are almost doubling by the end of this Parliament. We increased funding this year from £1.1 billion to £1.6 billion, which came with conditions about publishing transparency reports on their websites. The multi-year funding that we have announced will also come with some conditions and incentives, to make sure that we turn the attention of local authorities from just patching those potholes—going back to fill them again and again is not a good use of taxpayers’ money—to preventing them from forming in the first place and ensuring that we fully resurface roads. That accountability will be there for all our constituents to see where the council is or is not doing its job. If it does not spend the money, we will pass it on to a local authority that will.

To come back to a point raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Derby North (Catherine Atkinson), we are providing the East Midlands combined county authority with £2 billion through the transport for city regions fund, with the east midlands receiving £450 million from the local transport block. That means the east midlands will receive significantly more local transport funding per head than the England average in the coming years—£561 per person against an average of £391.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Simon Lightwood and Catherine Atkinson

Thursday 26th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Simon Lightwood]

Our long-term bus investment will support rural areas to improve local bus services. That is on top of the £712 million we have allocated to local authorities in 2025-26.

[Catherine Atkinson (Derby North) (Lab)]

I met taxi drivers in Derby, at a meeting organised by the GMB, who are proud of the work they do. They want high standards across the board; what actions is the Minister taking to review taxi licensing, so that everyone can have confidence that the taxi and private hire industry is reliable, sustainable, and safe for passengers and the drivers themselves?

Improving Public Transport

Debate between Simon Lightwood and Catherine Atkinson

Thursday 5th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Simon Lightwood]

Having grown up in a coastal community, I understand that they have unique challenges. I will of course take that point away to the Department.

The important work to improve services has already begun. We started reforming transport on day one after the general election. Take buses, the most commonly used mode of public transport in Britain. The Government have ambitious plans to improve services and grow passenger numbers. We know how important bus services are to communities up and down the country, particularly in rural areas, where, for many, buses can be a lifeline, and the only way of getting around and accessing vital services.

[Catherine Atkinson (Derby North) (Lab)]

Bus cuts are absolutely devastating for the woman I spoke to who could not get her weekly shop, the young man I met who had to leave for work hours early to try to get multiple buses, and the husband who could not get a bus to the care home his wife was in. Since 2008, the east midlands has suffered bus cuts of 60%—more than any other region. Does the Minister agree that regional inequality is at the heart of this debate, and that it is far past time that we saw investment in our buses?

[Simon Lightwood]

Absolutely, of course. We need to ensure that we have effective, efficient and affordable public transport in every single corner of the country.

In September, we took the first step in empowering local leaders by introducing a statutory instrument to expand franchising powers beyond mayoral combined authorities to all local transport authorities. We also consulted on new guidance for local leaders looking to bring services into public control. This new, simplified guidance will help to break down barriers to local control of bus services, speeding up the process and bringing down costs. Of course, the buses Bill will empower local leaders by giving them the tools that they need to address local public transport challenges, including by making further changes to simplify bus franchising and by creating locally owned bus companies. We have already seen examples of the improvements that local leaders can make to services. To take my favourite example, the Bee Network in Manchester is on course to complete the re-regulation of buses in its new network in the new year. It will become the first city region outside London to put buses fully back under public control after four decades of deregulation. This new bus network franchise has seen increases in both patronage and punctuality.

We are backing up those reforms with new funding for buses next year. In the Budget, the Government confirmed that there would be more than £1 billion to help local transport authorities and operators to deliver high-quality, reliable public services. That includes £150 million to deliver the new £3 fare cap, which will ensure that passengers have access to affordable fares and better opportunities; £712 million for local authorities to continue to support and improve their bus services; and £243 million for the bus service operators grant. That is given directly to bus operators to support and protect existing services. That funding is the next stop on our journey towards improving services. Every region in England will benefit. The money will make a real difference for people across the country, and could be used to fund more frequent services, so that people can get to more places more often; safer, better and more accessible bus stops; new electric buses; or better real-time information, so that passengers can be confident that their bus will turn up.

Of course, it is not just bus passengers who want their services to run on time. On railways, we have been clear that services have been failing passengers. Performance is inconsistent across the country, and in many areas, the service is not where it needs to be. Improving performance is a key priority, and we will continue to challenge the worst-performing train operating companies and their Network Rail counterparts to address poor performance and raise standards. Just as with buses, we have been making progress. We have resolved long-running industrial disputes over pay, ending the massive disruption and financial impact of national strikes and resetting industrial relations. That paves the way for more collaboration with the trade unions, and the delivery of a railway that works for everyone.

As well as continuing to fund the operation of the railway, we are committed to investing to deliver improvements for passengers. We are simplifying and modernising the rail fare and ticketing system, and have already made great progress. We have driven forward pay-as-you-go in the south-east through the delivery of Project Oval phase 1A. In 2025 we will see further phases of Project Oval go live, which will include Stansted. We have also have completed a detailed design of pay-as-you-go schemes in the west midlands, and Greater Manchester plans to launch digital pay-as-you-go trials in 2025. We continue to progress long-distance fare reforms, with trials on London North Eastern Railway.

Looking forward, we have committed ourselves to undertaking a fare review, which is to be completed over 2025, and we will also continue to invest in infrastructure. Just last week, the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, which received Royal Assent on 28 November, enabled us to bring passenger service operations back into public ownership, starting with South Western Railway’s services in May 2025, c2c’s in July and Greater Anglia’s in the autumn.