Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to include in his Department's contract with the successful bidder for Northern Rail and Transpennine Express franchises a requirement that there is a second person on board the train in addition to the driver in the event of the introduction of driver-only operation.

The Department does not specify the numbers of staff or how they should be deployed as this is something that the operators are much better placed to manage and understand. The Department is considering the option of specifying that, where appropriate, drivers take on the job of opening and closing the train doors on the Northern Rail and Transpenine Express franchises, as happens on many other parts of the railway. Our approach is to assess the bids we receive to ensure they adequately provide for passengers to be able to purchase tickets, have access to appropriate service information and feel safe and secure on trains.