Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will issue a Direction to the Chief Executive of Network Rail to reply to the letter of 27 October 2014 from the hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling on the need to lengthen the platforms at Cowden, Hever and Edenbridge Town stations by 27 July 2015.

Network Rail operates at arm’s length from the Department for Transport, and is not expected to involve Ministers in its regular operational decisions such as whether to lengthen the platforms at Cowden, Hever and Edenbridge Town Stations by 27 July 2015.

However, this is an unacceptable delay. I have been advised by Network Rail that they responded on 3 February.

Network Rail has also informed me that it is now able to deliver the platforms referred to in early summer 2016 rather than December 2015 as initially planned in its Control Period 5 programme of works. As an interim measure between the trains being available in July 2015 and the platforms being complete in summer 2016, Govia Thameslink Railway will be able to use rolling stock to lengthen trains to 8-cars, which will be a considerable benefit to passengers suffering overcrowded services.