Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what procedures his Department has agreed with Network Rail on the avoidance of major weekend rail maintenance works on lines serving locations where events likely to attract substantial numbers of people are scheduled.

Network Rail has responsibility for scheduling major weekend rail maintenance works and operates at arm’s length from the Department for Transport. Network Rail plans its major engineering work up to two years in advance. The company considers major recurring events that happen at the same time each year during the early stages of planning, and ensures routes for services are kept available.