Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will provide additional funding to help mitigate ongoing soil moisture deficit effects for railway companies.

The Department for Transport funds Network Rail to operate, maintain, and develop the nation's railway infrastructure. As the climate changes, we expect to see hotter, drier summers, and therefore we will expect to encounter more instances of soil moisture deficit. To plan for the changing climate, Network Rail is undertaking a programme of adaptation pathways across the network to develop a long-term strategic adaptation plan and identify priority areas for further adaptation investment. This approach will help identify those parts of the network which may require work to increase resilience to enable safe and reliable services to continue in the future climate. Adaptation pathways consider different climate hazards, including those which affect earthworks, such as soil moisture deficit and heavy rain. This work is already informing discussions for future funding periods.

The soil moisture deficit was particularly disruptive for South Western Railway’s West of England line customers this summer, with a reduced timetable having been in place since August.

South Western Railway and Network Rail closely monitored the ground conditions, and as soon as it was safe to do so, the track repairs were made. I am pleased to confirm that the usual timetable will be reinstated from Saturday 29 November.