Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether there have been improvements in train running times and cancellation rates, following the pay deal agreed with ASLEF in September; and what further improvements they expect to see as a result of that pay deal that do not require changes in working conditions.

The pay agreement with ASLEF has brought an end to over two years of damaging national industrial action which was very disruptive to passengers. Industrial relations have also been reset to enable delivery of a reformed railway that works for everyone. However, because the agreement is so recent, the Department does not yet hold national data to show the extent to which this has directly improved train running times or cancellation dates, which are influenced by a range of factors including seasonal effects.