Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data his Department holds on the annual cost of administering the issuing of Network Railcards.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department is not able to provide sales or journeys data on the Network Railcard for this or previous years. Railcard sales data is commercially sensitive and managed by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on behalf of train operators.
RDG manage and deliver the Railcard schemes, including the Network Railcard. The Department does not hold data on their administrative costs.
According to the Network Railcard website, on average Railcard holders save £134 annually. Individual savings will depend on the journeys each passenger makes.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions (a) he, (b) the Minister of State for Rail and (c)HS2 have had with the Rail Delivery Group on industrial action on the railways.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State and I regularly meet with industry to discuss a wide range of topics, including industrial action. HS2 has had no recent discussions with the Rail Delivery Group regarding industrial action because they are not due to operate rail services until 2029-2033.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 24 of his Department's publication entitled Network North: transforming British transport, CP 946, published on 4 October 2023, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the new plan for HS2 will result in nearly doubling capacity up to 250,000 seats per day across the primary long-distance operator on the West Coast Main Line and Phase 1.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The estimated increased seat capacity across the primary long-distance operator on the West Coast Main Line and HS2 set out in the Network North publication was based on illustrative assumptions about the potential services that could run across existing and new infrastructure once HS2 Phase 1 is brought into service.
This assumed 3 HS2 trains per hour running between London and Birmingham with additional capacity at peak hours, and assumptions on potential services which could run north of Birmingham. The latter are now being further refined through work with industry partners.
No final decisions have been made on the train service that will run when HS2 opens. These will be made in due course and be subject to consultation, taking advice from the industry. These considerations will include passenger and freight services available on the West Coast Main Line from released capacity.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with LNER on their simpler fares trial.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Department officials engage regularly with the LNER team on the trial and we will carefully consider the results before taking decisions on any wider extension.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Great British Railways transition team has spent on consultants as of 14 February 2024.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) is a temporary organisation set up to design Great British Railways, industry specialists have been brought in via secondments and fixed term appointments, alongside some consultancy support for a range of tasks. Total spending on GBRTT consultancy support from October 2021 to 3 February 2024 was £48.2m. Data on monthly cost for consultants supporting GBRTT is not available up to the requested date as GBRTT hold data in accounting periods rather than calendar months.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2024 to Question 11198 on Railways: WiFi, for which train operating companies the quality of wi-fi provision is (a) subject to a minimum service requirement and (b) a key performance indicator.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
In general, under the Department's National Rail Contracts and Service Contracts, Wi-Fi quality standards are for train operators to determine. However, South Western Railway has a specific business plan commitment to provide, on an initial trial basis, free super-fast Wi-Fi on certain types of rolling stock between Earlsfield and Basingstoke stations.
Any requirements relating to the provision of Wi-Fi by train operating companies contracted by devolved and local authorities would be a matter for those authorities.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of managing (a) land and (b) property bought for Phase 2 of the HS2 project in the financial year 2024-25.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Details regarding HS2 budgets for the 2024-25 financial year are still being finalised and will be published in the Main Estimates at the beginning of the next financial year.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many seats HS2 trains travelling between Birmingham and Manchester will have.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
No final decisions have been made on the train service that will operate when HS2 opens.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2024 to Question 12372 on High Speed 2 Line: Costs, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) acquiring and (b) managing (i) land and (ii) property associated with HS2 Phase 2 in (A) financial year 2024-25 and (B) the next five years.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Details regarding HS2 budgets for financial year 2024-25 are still being finalised. Funding regarding the period beyond FY2024-25 will be subject to an agreement of the next fiscal event.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the quality of wifi provision is (a) subject to a minimum service requirement and (b) a key performance indicator for train operating companies (i) contracted to the private sector and (ii) under the control of DfT OLR Holdings.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
All operators are obligated under their franchise agreements to provide the provision of free wifi on board to passengers. The provision is a commercial matter for the operator itself.