Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to alleviate any possible increase in service cancellations caused by the roll out of new Azuma trains to the East Coast Main Line.

The Department for Transport is working with Hitachi, the Office of Rail and Road, London North Eastern Railway (LNER), and Network Rail to ensure that the new Intercity Express Programme trains enter service on the the East Coast Main Line as soon as possible, and that the transition from LNER’s current fleet to the Azumas is a smooth one.

With the rollout of any new rolling stock, it is prudent to plan for potential issues that might affect services, and the Department is working with LNER to ensure that contingencies are in place for such eventualities.