Railways

(asked on 31st October 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 29 October (HL10683), what representations they are making to the Office of Rail and Road, as part of the ongoing regulatory periodic review, regarding the case for operators to make best use of track by providing most seats for each path used.


Answered by
Baroness Sugg Portrait
Baroness Sugg
This question was answered on 12th November 2018

Government has made extensive representations to the Office of Rail and Road as part of the Periodic Review 2018 process, which concluded on 31 October with the publication of the Final Determination. This has included the publication of the High Level Output Specification and Statement of Funds Available. Government has not, however, made specific, prescriptive representations to the effect that it expects operators to maximise the number of seats for each train path. Government has instead taken an outcomes-based approach, focussing on the outcomes that matter most to passengers and freight users, including safety, reliability and capacity, with the responsibility being on the industry to deliver these.

Government’s representations to the Office of Rail and Road, including its response to the Draft Determination, which was published on 23 August 2018, have stressed that Government places great importance on better using and improving the capacity of the network, including by strengthening the System Operator, which provides advice on the better use of capacity.

As the Periodic Review relates to funding and outputs for rail infrastructure, most decisions regarding the utilisation of capacity on the network and increases in seat numbers are made through the Department for Transport’s franchising programme.

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