Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment he has made of the seating capacity provided by the Meridian and HST trains servicing the East Midlands franchise and bi-mode trains which will replace those trains.
When we release the Invitation to Tender for the next East Midlands Franchise, the minimum on-train capacity requirements for the franchise will be considered in the specification for the bidders. It will then be for the successful bidder for the next East Midlands Franchise to fulfil and exceed these requirements.