Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure passengers are safe in emergencies and have access to advice and assistance during rail journeys where there is no guard on board.
Keeping passengers and staff safe on our railways is paramount. With a growing number of railways users it is likely that we will need more people not fewer, working on our railways and helping passengers. Trains where the driver operates the doors often retain a second member of crew on board, who can offer advice and assistance to passengers, and these trains have been used safely in the UK for more than 30 years. The independent rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), and the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) have also said that trains where drivers control the doors are safe.