Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of performance on the Great Western mainline to South Wales.

Improving performance on the Great Western Main Line is a high priority for Network Rail and my Department. I have met the Chief Executive of Network Rail multiple times to discuss this issue and it is clear to both of us that current performance is not meeting the standards of reliability that passengers deserve. Last week Network Rail launched its £140m Thames Valley Recovery Plan, which focusses on improving performance over the next 18 months.