Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2015 to Question 9152, and with reference to page 214 of his Department's Great Western Franchise Agreement of 22 March 2015, what advice he received from the Rail Safety and Standards Board and the Office of Rail and Road prior to his decision to include in that Agreement a requirement for the Great Western franchisee to develop proposals for main line trial deployment of converted Class 230 trains taking into account the applicability and safety implications of the deviations granted to D78 London Underground rolling stock in 2002 for (a) non-fitment of train protection and warning system in-cab equipment and (b) non-compliance with railway group standards structural requirements for windscreens and windows.

The Secretary of State has not decided to require the Great Western franchisee to develop proposals for main line train deployment of converted Class 230 trains.　 The obligation in the new First Great Western franchise agreement is for the Franchisee to submit an initial feasibility study.　 The franchise agreement makes clear that any proposals for a trial that might derive from that report would be subject to a separate decision by the Secretary of State and would be subject to initial examination confirming likely viability.