Found: Tank Storage Association (TSA) members provide and support an essential interface between sea, road, rail

Found: SFF0007 - Skills for the future: apprenticeships and training National Skills Academy for Rail Written

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the cost of rail travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Affordability is one of our six key objectives for rail reform – wherever possible, prices should be kept at a point that works for both passengers and taxpayers.

We have just announced a new networkwide Rail Sale that will launch early next year to tie in with celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of Britain's passenger railways. Returning by popular demand, the sale will aim to encourage more people onto the railways by offering up to 50 per cent off train tickets for a specific time period.

We are also committed to simplifying ticketing and exploring options for expanding ticketing innovations like digital pay as you go, and digital season tickets across the network.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help reduce the number of violent attacks on women and girls on rail services.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This government has set out its mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade and will treat this work as a national emergency.

No one should ever have to face the risk of violence or harassment when travelling on our transport networks.

We are taking action to make sure women and girls in particular feel safe on our transport network. We work closely with railway partners, including the British Transport Police (BTP), to achieve this. BTP utilises specialist teams of plain clothed and uniformed officers across the network to target and identify offenders. It uses enhanced patrols, with a directed, intelligence-led focus around the nighttime economy, providing high-visibility presence to reassure rail staff and the public.

Current public campaigns and support tools include the National Rail ‘Zero Tolerance’ campaign aimed at ending sexual harassment and BTP’s Railway Guardian app, which provides safety advice, links to partner organisations and enables reporting of incidents to the force directly. Previous public awareness campaigns have included using real victim stories to encourage more members of the public to come forward and report incidents of sexual harassment to the force.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the transition from private to public ownership on train operating company investment programmes.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The process of transitioning railway passenger services into public ownership should not impact investment programmes. The vast majority of investment is already funded from public sources under current arrangements. Existing projects will be able to continue unless there is a good reason for review. The Department will work closely with private sector Train Operating Companies and Network Rail during the planning process to understand the position of any relevant investment programmes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the (a) punctuality and (b) performance of Cross Country rail services (i) to and (ii) from Cheltenham Spa.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

CrossCountry has recently been placed on a formal Remedial Plan to ensure it takes action to address performance issues across its network and increases essential driver training. This is expected to result in a more reliable service following the implementation of the plan. The Department will closely monitor the progress of the plan and if CrossCountry fails to deliver, further action will be taken in line with its contractual terms.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on securing workforce reform as part of pay talks with the rail industry.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Our railways are broken and need change, but we simply cannot do this until we reset our relationships with unions. The breakthroughs on pay will mark a new era of industrial relations, getting unions and TOCs back around the table, and changing the tone of discussions.

The Department has been clear that in return for a fair pay settlement, this reset in relationships will enable a more collaborative approach on tackling long-standing issues that undermine productivity and reliability on the railways. This includes agreement to work together to address industry-wide matters that will improve the operational resilience of the railway, e.g. development of a new industry driver training competency framework and creation of a new joint advisory committee on new rolling stock procurement relating to cab design.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has had discussions with Network Rail about its intentions to allow its land between Cheltenham Spa rail station and Lansdown Road, Cheltenham to be used to facilitate the development of the Gloucestershire Cycle Spine.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has not directly discussed land access with Network Rail for this route but is supporting and providing funding to Sustrans and Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) to deliver a route between Cheltenham Spa Station and Lansdown Road as part of the Cycle Rail Programme. We understand that Great Western Railway, Network Rail and GCC are working closely together to progress this project. GCC is responsible for securing appropriate land access agreements with Network Rail.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans he has to work with the Scottish Government to improve (a) rail and (b) ferry provision in (i) Fife and (ii) Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

Scotrail run rail services in both Fife and wider Scotland, and responsibility for these services lie with the Scottish Government. Similarly, ferry services are also devolved to the Scottish Government. This Government is, however, working to ensure public ownership across rail services. The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill will ensure that ScotRail is kept in public hands.

This Government is committed to resetting the relationship with the Scottish Government to ensure we can work together to deliver for the people of Scotland on the things that matter most to communities, including on transport links between Scotland and the rest of the UK. I have already met with the Deputy First Minister on numerous occasions to discuss a variety of issues. My officials regularly engage with their counterparts in the Scottish Government, working with their colleagues in the Department for Transport, to identify opportunities for collaboration on improving transport and other services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to refurbish Stockport railway station.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Avanti West Coast and Network Rail hold the responsibility for the operations, maintenance, and refurbishment activities at Stockport station. I understand that the lift on platform 0 and the station entrance doors have recently been refurbished. More substantial work is being planned for the underpass in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is taking steps to (a) ensure that all rail stations are fully accessible and (b) implement step-free access to both platforms at Ledbury station.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme. This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to fund (a) rail infrastructure and (b) fleet modernisation projects at (i) East Midlands Railway and (ii) West Midlands Trains (A) during and (B) following their potential transition to public ownership.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The process of transitioning railway passenger services into public ownership should not impact investment projects. Existing projects can continue unless there is a good reason for review; with new projects being considered on their merits. The Department will work closely with private sector train operating companies and Network Rail during the transition process to understand the position of any investment programmes, and build these into transition planning if appropriate.

Railway passenger services currently operated by private sector companies under contract to the Secretary of State will transfer into DfT OLR Holdings Ltd (DOHL) when current contracts end, reach their contractual break point, or if they fail. DOHL is tasked with undertaking transfers efficiently and effectively, with no disruption to passengers and employees. It has managed four successful transfers in recent years and is scaling up to ensure the successful transfer of more services into public ownership.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of bringing railway contracts into public ownership on outstanding multi year projects that (a) update fleets, (b) improve timetables and (c) support infrastructure improvements.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The process of transitioning railway passenger services into public ownership will not impact existing multi-year projects to update fleets, improve timetables and support infrastructure improvements. Existing projects can continue unless there is a good reason for review. The continued operation of rolling stock is one of the considerations when taking operators back into public ownership. The Department will work closely with private sector Train Operating Companies and Network Rail during the transition process to understand the position of any such projects and build these into transition planning if appropriate.

Railway passenger services currently operated by private sector companies under contract to the Secretary of State will transfer into DfT OLR Holdings Ltd (DOHL) when current contracts end or reach their contractual break point. DOHL is tasked with undertaking transfers efficiently and effectively, with no disruption to passengers and employees. DOHL has managed four successful transfers in recent years and is scaling up to ensure the successful transfer of more services into public ownership.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many heritage railways have received grants or financial assistance from the Government since 1999; and how much each of those which have been given support has received.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Since 1999, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £70,562,212 to the UK’s heritage railways.

Within that amount, DCMS funded over 60 heritage steam organisations through the Culture Recovery Fund (2020 - 2021) providing nearly £15 million in support for the heritage rail sector. This has included multiple awards supporting the infrastructure of iconic heritage railways such as Ffestiniog, Bluebell and Severn Valley, as well as the restoration of individual locomotives and elements of rolling stock, including the world-famous Flying Scotsman.

Since 1999, Historic England (previously English Heritage) has awarded £280,396 to the UK’s heritage railways. This included sites such as Bowes Railway Company in the North East which received seven grants since 2002 totalling £515,834. In addition, Bowes Railway Company received £36,241 (July 2020 to March 2021) through a Covid-19 Emergency Grant. Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Community Interest Company received £3,374 (June 2020 to September 2020) through a Covid-19 Emergency Grant. A £49k repair grant was provided towards the cost of the restoration of a Grade II* listed turntable in St Blazey, Cornwall in 2021. The turntable has been restored to operational condition by a social enterprise company, and allows main line steam engines to run into Cornwall on railtours bringing tourists to the Duchy, and be turned ready for their return journey. Historic England has also been supporting the Railway 200 celebrations in many ways including research, outreach and listing sites with links to heritage rail.

We do not hold information on grants given from parts of Government that are not DCMS and its arms length bodies.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans for the Pay As You Go train ticketing pilots for (a) Greater Manchester and (b) the West Midlands to begin in 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government remains committed to making ticketing simpler and more flexible for passengers and to working with local authorities to support integrated transport plans in their areas. Following the announcement in February that Pay As You Go (PAYG) pilots would be launched in 2025, we have been working closely with Transport for the West Midlands, the West Midlands Rail Executive, Transport for Greater Manchester and train operators to finalise delivery plans for the PAYG pilots including launch dates.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the levels of overcrowding on Great Western Railway trains from Tiverton Parkway; and whether she plans to take steps to reduce overcrowding on those trains.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Officials continually monitor the performance of Great Western Railway services, including instances of overcrowding, and actively hold operators to account through their contracts when they run less capacity than agreed. The Rail Minister additionally meets with Train Operating Companies to review their performance. We work closely with Great Western Railway to match supply to demand within operational and financial constraints including the provision of additional summer services. Great Western Railway is also exploring opportunities to increase the capacity of its rolling stock fleet.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 1 August 2024 to Question 1982 on Coal: Imports and Production, if he will make an estimate of the amount of coal the UK heritage rail requires on an annual basis.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) Table 2.1 on Coal Commodities states that the annual figure for heritage railways usage is 15,000 tonnes - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66a7a17249b9c0597fdb066a/DUKES_2.1.xlsx

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with train operators on disruption to (a) services and (b) timetables following the worldwide IT outage on 19 July 2024.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

My officials were in touch with ToCs at the time. As the Minister (Ellie Reeves, Minister without Portfolio) said in her statement to the House of Commons on Monday 22 July, the transport sector will review its response and implement any learnings.

The Cabinet Office has led a review of the incident, identifying lessons. The Department has engaged with this process and will implement recommendations with the transport sector, including the rail industry and train operating companies, as appropriate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information she holds on the number of train journeys that were cancelled across the rail network as a direct result of crew shortage on 14 July.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department does not hold the requested data concerning journey cancellations on 14 July 2024 directly due to crew shortages.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Office for Rail and Road’s annual UK rail industry assessment, published on 19 July, what steps her Department is taking to ensure Network Rail delivers its performance improvement plan for Wales and the Western region by 31 August.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Improving performance on the railway is a key priority, and the Rail Minister is expecting to meet Network Rail and Great Western Railway this month to discuss performance on these routes. Following the launch of Network Rail’s £140m performance improvement plan, we are starting to see improvements in performance, and we expect more in the coming months. We understand Network Rail delivered a final plan to the Office for Rail & Road by 31 August.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce air quality targets within train stations.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that the railway maintains the highest air quality standards to safeguard the health and well-being of passengers and rail staff. The Department for Transport already requires Network Rail and train operators to develop air quality improvement plans to address issues in stations. The Department is also working with the Rail Safety and Standards Board to explore the option of specific air quality targets for the rail network, including within stations, to ensure rail remains one of the cleanest forms of mass public transport. The Department will confirm its position in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will hold discussions with the Office of Road and Rail on the potential merits of setting up a new Heritage Rail Safety and Standards Board.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Officials in my department have had several meetings over the last year with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) about the Heritage Rail Association’s (HRA) plans to establish a Heritage Rail Safety and Standards Board. We understand that the HRA is progressing with its plans, and my officials will continue their engagement with the ORR as this develops.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate her Department has made of the level of (a) car ownership, (b) bus usage, (c) light rail usage, (d) train usage and (e) active travel usage in Aldershot constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The information requested regarding (a) car ownership, (b) bus usage (c) light rail usage, (d) train usage and (e) active travel usage in Aldershot constituency is not available. Geographic availability of data differs depending on the data source. Where possible, information has been provided for the constituency of Aldershot. Otherwise, statistics for the local authority of ‘Rushmoor’, county of ‘Hampshire’, or the area of ‘Hampshire and Isle of Wight’ are provided where relevant.

Car ownership

According to the Department’s vehicle statistics, there were 138,805 licensed cars as at end March 2024 in the Aldershot Constituency.

Bus usage

According to the Department’s annual bus statistics, in the year ending March 2023 there were 20.8 million local bus journeys taken in Hampshire.

Train usage

The Regional Rail Usage Statistics published by the Office of Rail and Road show that in the year ending March 2023 there were 25.0 million passenger rail journeys within the South East of England that started or ended in Hampshire and Isle of Wight. There were also 15.3 million journeys that started or ended in Hampshire and Isle of Wight that started or ended from regions outside the South East of England.

Active travel usage

According to the Department’s annual walking and cycling statistics, between November 2022 and November 2023, 66.4% of adults walked or cycled, for any purpose, at least once per week in Rushmoor (Non-Metropolitan District). The equivalent figure for Hampshire (County) is 73.6%.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential economic impact of electrifying the train track from Telford to (a) Wolverhampton and (b) Shrewsbury.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

With an indicative cost of ~£270m, Midlands Connect, the sub-national transport body which researches, develops and progresses transport projects in the Midlands, view electrification of this route as prohibitively expensive.

However, they are refreshing the Business Case for line speed improvements to this route, and my officials are in regular contact with Midlands Connect to support them in this work. The Minister of State for Rail expects to receive an updated Business Case later this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with her Swiss counterpart on the potential merits of direct rail connections between London and Basel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government fully supports the growth of international rail passenger services, including potential new direct connections, and recognises the socio-economic benefits that these provide for UK citizens and businesses. DfT officials regularly engage with their Swiss counterparts to discuss the potential merits of direct rail connections between the UK and Switzerland, as well as supporting the work of industry partners to explore their feasibility. The Secretary of State and the Rail Minister hope to discuss this shortly with Swiss counterparts, including exploring plans to formalise our cooperation on this matter.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to extend the Great Western Main Line upgrade to include electrification to Swansea.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The decision taken in 2017 to not electrify the railway between Cardiff and Swansea was based on it not delivering significant journey time savings and this remains the case. Enhancements to the railway in Wales that deliver passenger benefits, including proposed electrification, are considered by the Wales Rail Board.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to tackle (a) variances in employment terms and conditions and (b) the introduction of technological innovations in the rail sector.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We are committed to delivering the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation, and ensure that Great British Railways (GBR) can drive innovation across the network.

As we bring a fragmented industry together, we will need to consider a range of options on the right approach for future terms and conditions, taking account of employment law requirements.

On the introduction of technological innovations, we expect a joined up industry to do more and faster in the use of technology for safety, cost reduction, revenue growth and accessibility, and we expect GBR to take a firm lead in this area. In the meantime, Network rail and train companies are working in this area, including through Shadow Great British Railways.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how she plans to manage the capacity of DfT OLR Holdings Limited to absorb additional rail franchises; and what steps she is taking to expand its capabilities.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The responsibility for the transfers from the private to the public sectors lies with DfT OLR Holdings Ltd (DOHL). DOHL is tasked with undertaking these transfers in an efficient and effective manner with no disruption to passengers and employees. The Board has a strong mix of skills, expertise and experience in the rail industry that covers safety, rail franchising, finance and management accounting, project change, project management and contracts. DOHL has managed four successful transfers so far and is scaling up to ensure the successful transfer of all train operating companies into public ownership.

The Department will continue to work with DOHL and ensure that it has sufficient capacity to take on train operating companies and manage effectively the train operating companies currently under its control as we work towards Great British Railways. DOHL is already well versed in building up specialist capacity quickly in response to a need to transfer operations to the public sector at pace. Significant work is already underway by DOHL to bring in additional capacity and expertise. We are meeting regularly with DOHL to obtain assurances that it is scaling up appropriately to meet the opportunities and challenges of public ownership and operation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to ensure that there is a smooth transition from private to public rail operators.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The responsibility for the transfers from the private to the public sectors lies with DfT OLR Holdings Ltd (DOHL). DOHL is tasked with undertaking these transfers in an efficient and effective manner with no disruption to passengers and employees. The Board has a strong mix of skills, expertise and experience in the rail industry that covers safety, rail franchising, finance and management accounting, project change, project management and contracts. DOHL has managed four successful transfers so far and is scaling up to ensure the successful transfer of all train operating companies into public ownership.

The Department will continue to work with DOHL and ensure that it has sufficient capacity to take on train operating companies and manage effectively the train operating companies currently under its control as we work towards Great British Railways. DOHL is already well versed in building up specialist capacity quickly in response to a need to transfer operations to the public sector at pace. Significant work is already underway by DOHL to bring in additional capacity and expertise. We are meeting regularly with DOHL to obtain assurances that it is scaling up appropriately to meet the opportunities and challenges of public ownership and operation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to help ensure that public railway operators achieve passenger growth.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We are committed to delivering a unified and simplified rail system that focuses on improved services for passengers and better value for taxpayers, ending years of fragmentation and waste.

We will establish Great British Railways as the directing mind in charge of Britain’s railway infrastructure and services, responsible for ensuring both work together. We will also bring passenger services into public ownership, in the pursuit of a more efficient and passenger-focused rail system.

In the interim, while National Rail Contracts (NRCs) remain in place, we will set stretching performance targets for each operator through the annual business planning process. These targets will be specific to each operator, reflecting their individual circumstances. Where performance falls short, we will require operators to put in place robust improvement plans. The Secretary of State has already met a number of poorly performing train operators and their Network Rail counterparts, setting clear expectations for immediate improvement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the costs associated with the establishment of Great British Railways remain within budget.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The King’s Speech set out that we will be introducing legislation to establish Great British Railways (GBR) in this Parliamentary session.

The Rail Sector Transformation Programme Board will hold to account those responsible for implementing reforms and will oversee the planned savings and track incurred costs. We are applying lessons from recent National Audit Office, Public Accounts Committee and Infrastructure and Projects Authority reports, including ensuring there is effective governance and clear accountabilities.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 25 of her Department's document entitled Fixing the Foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, CP 1133, what the evidential basis is for saying there was an additional £1.6 billion cost to the rail system in the 2024-25 financial year.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The £1.6 billion cost referenced is an HMT assessment of the additional cost to run rail services in 2024/25 compared to SR21 plans. This assessment was made at the point at which this government entered office. The additional cost is primarily driven by the impact of weaker-than-expected passenger demand recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any rail operators will be brought into public ownership before their contract expires.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill facilitates the Government’s commitment to bring passenger train operations into public ownership and enables the Secretary of State to commence the transition to public sector operation as current contracts reach their end date or contractual break point. This approach ensures that taxpayers will not need to compensate operating companies for ending contracts early.

The Bill does not exclude the possibility of terminating a contract before it expires if the train operating company defaults on its obligations, as set out in its respective National Rail Contract. National Rail Contracts are publicly available and can be accessed through the ‘Public register of rail passenger contracts’.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her Department's planned timetable is for the completion of the Oxfordshire Connect programme.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Minister of State for Rail, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, and senior officials from my Department are having regular discussions with Network Rail (NR) to press them for a credible delivery plan for the completion of the Oxford station project and Botley Road bridge.

Lord Hendy has written to you and other stakeholders with details of improvements being made to alleviate the effects of the bridge closure. He and the Chief Executive of NR will come to meet you, and other stakeholders, as soon as NR are certain of the delivery plan.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with Network Rail on the status of the Oxfordshire Connect rail programme.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Minister of State for Rail, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, and senior officials from my Department are having regular discussions with Network Rail (NR) to press them for a credible delivery plan for the completion of the Oxford station project and Botley Road bridge.

Lord Hendy has written to you and other stakeholders with details of improvements being made to alleviate the effects of the bridge closure. He and the Chief Executive of NR will come to meet you, and other stakeholders, as soon as NR are certain of the delivery plan.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what regulations govern training for prisoners while still in prison for job placements on release.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The prison education curriculum enables prisoners to gain the skills they need to get employment on release. In addition to English, maths and vocational training we offer bespoke, local training via the Dynamic Purchasing System. We are developing other training through our Future Skills Programme in a variety of sectors, such as construction and hospitality with employers guaranteeing interviews to prisoners on completion of the course. Prisoners may also undertake other work placements during their sentence which prepares them for work on release. Some are within the prison setting e.g. prison kitchens, but prisoners in open prisons may also go out to work in a variety of sectors under Release on Temporary Licence conditions. We also work with the Department for Education who fund a ‘skills bootcamp’ to deliver training in skills needed to work in the rail industry alongside continuing to develop the opportunities for serving prisoners to undertake apprenticeships.

Prison Education delivered by HMPPS is underpinned by the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, the Prison Rules 1999 and the Prison Education and Libraries Framework. The delivery of apprenticeships to prisoners is governed by the Apprenticeships (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2017. All aspects of education, skills and work are inspected by Ofsted alongside HMIP.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Table 1 of her Department's document entitled Fixing the Foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, CP 1133, what the evidential basis is for saying there was an additional £1.3 billion cost for rail maintenance in the 2024-25 financial year.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Rail infrastructure is managed by Network Rail (NR). The Department for Transport (DfT) provides grant funding to NR for operations, maintenance, and renewals via five-year regulated ‘Control Periods’. Funding for each Control Period is established through a statutory process of Periodic Reviews, the timelines for which have not aligned with Spending Review periods.

At Spending Review 2021, DfT’s budgets were set for a period (2021/22-2024/25) which extended beyond the end of the previous Control Period (Control Period 6, 2019/20-2023/24). The periodic review to determine Control Period 7 (2024/25-2028/29) concluded in October 2023, confirming the funding requirements for 2024/25. Therefore, the assumption for maintenance costs in 2024/25 had to be revised following the periodic review in 2023 as these costs were higher than budgeted at SR21.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which (a) road and (b) rail projects have been cancelled in North Yorkshire.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Chancellor set out on 29 July a range of pressures on public spending, including £2.9 billion of unfunded transport specific spending. Following this, the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement on 30 July set out that the Department is undertaking an internal review of its capital spend portfolio which will support the development of our new long-term strategy for transport.

Any decisions about the portfolio will be subject to broader discussions and fiscal decisions made at Budget and Spending Review.

The Secretary of State has also made clear her commitment to transparency in government, including clarity for schemes which were cancelled or paused previously without public statements on their change in status.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on the (a) designs for and (b) delivery of the Midlands Rail Hub.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Following approval of an Outline Business Case, £123m was released to Network Rail in March 2024 to commence detailed design of Midlands Rail Hub’s first phase (for additional services between Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, and Worcester), while subsequent phases are at an earlier stage of development. Subject to future decisions about affordability and value for money, the first stage could be complete by the early 2030s.

The Chancellor set out on 29 July a range of pressures on public spending, including £2.9 billion of unfunded transport specific spending. Following this, the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement on 30 July set out that the Department is undertaking an internal review of its capital spend portfolio. This will support the development of our new long-term strategy for transport. Any decisions about the portfolio will be subject to broader discussions and fiscal decisions made at Budget and Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has for the West Midlands Rail Hub.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Following approval of an Outline Business Case, £123m was released to Network Rail in March 2024 to commence detailed design of Midlands Rail Hub’s first phase (for additional services between Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, and Worcester), while subsequent phases are at an earlier stage of development. Subject to future decisions about affordability and value for money, the first stage could be complete by the early 2030s.

The Chancellor set out on 29 July a range of pressures on public spending, including £2.9 billion of unfunded transport specific spending. Following this, the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement on 30 July set out that the Department is undertaking an internal review of its capital spend portfolio. This will support the development of our new long-term strategy for transport. Any decisions about the portfolio will be subject to broader discussions and fiscal decisions made at Budget and Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has for transport improvements in the South West; and whether it remains Government policy to (a) fund the new Tavistock to Plymouth railway line, (b) provide funding to complete the South West Rail Resilience Programme and (c) implement the £2 bus fare extension.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government knows that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth and is committed to delivering the biggest overhaul to transport in a generation, working closely with local leaders and industry partners across the country.

The Department is undertaking a full review of its infrastructure programme following the Chancellor’s statement on the public spending inheritance on 29 July, which will consider the South-West Rail Resilience Programme and the scheme to restore rail services between Plymouth and Tavistock.

With regards to the £2 bus fare cap, delivering reliable and affordable public transport services for passengers is one of the Government’s top priorities and we know how important this is for passengers and for local growth. The Government is urgently considering the most effective and affordable ways to deliver on these objectives.

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Found: During testing at the test centre, Bus 1 reported low rail pressure (around 90kPa; a well performing

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Found: trips 468 453 523 Other Domestic Rail

Found: Scope 3 Cat. 6: Business travel transportation (tonnes CO2e) Personal vehicle mileage (tonnes CO2e) Rail

Found: Veterans Railcard A Veterans Railcard costs £30 and will save you a third on rail fares throughout Great

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Found: £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) No 5236 Rail

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Found: - including how local bus services integrate with other types of transport such as light or heavy rail

Found: In response the Department set up the Williams Rail Review to examine the structure of the rail industry

Found: In response the Department set up the Williams Rail Review to examine the structure of the rail industry

Found: Some were in paid employment, such as c onstruction , rail track maintenance, digital design, security

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Found: noise (and vibration) monitoring as nec essar y to comply with the requirements of the High Speed Rail

Found: undertake noise (and vibration) monitoring as necessary to comply with the requirements of the High Speed Rail

Found: undertake noise (and vibration) monitoring as necessary to comply with the requirements of the High Speed Rail

Found: undertake noise (and vibration) monitoring as necessary to comply with the requirements of the High Speed Rail

Found: undertake noise (and vibration) monitoring as necessary to comply with the requirements of the High Speed Rail

Found: undertake noise (and vibration) monitoring as necessary to comply with the requirements of the High Speed Rail

Found: • Noise monitoring was undertaken in the vicinity of the Carol Green Rail Underbridge Worksite (ref

Found: undertake noise (and vibration) monitoring as necessary to comply with the requirements of the High Speed Rail

Found: undertake noise (and vibration) monitoring as necessary to comply with the requirements of the High Speed Rail

Found: undertake noise (and vibration) monitoring as necessary to comply with the requirements of the High Speed Rail

Found: undertake noise (and vibration) monitoring as necessary to comply with the requirements of the High Speed Rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

Found: tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail

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Found: at Nine Elms is vested in the Authority together with a leasehold interest until 2073 from Network Rail

Found: currently Chair of the East West Railway Company (EWR Co), overseeing the delivery of a new direct rail

Found: currently Chair of the East West Railway Company (EWR Co), overseeing the delivery of a new direct rail

Found: close railway ticket offices, which could have had a devastating impact on disabled people and older rail

Found: following safety action have been taken by the aircraft operator: To reduce rainwater ingress, a ‘gutter rail

Found: distribution and generation loss 1,654 1,740 Flights 84 74 Regular taxi, motor bike and bus 15 15 National rail

Found: distribution and generation loss 1,654 1,740 Flights 84 74 Regular taxi, motor bike and bus 15 15 National rail

Found: The diverse and skilled workforce we are building will benefit the construction, infrastructure and rail

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Found: station on the Strathspey Railway 29 September 2023Rail Accident Report This report is published by the Rail

Found: Water-rail Navigational errorNo No No No loss of life. CWPFDs had been supplied but left at home.

Found: following safety action have been taken by the aircraft operator: To reduce rainwater ingress, a ‘gutter rail

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Found: Passenger rail performance: April to June 2024

Found: From: Office of Rail and Road Published 12 September 2024 Get emails about this page

Found: Veterans Railcard A Veterans Railcard costs £30 and will save you a third on rail fares throughout Great

Found: Other non-exhaust road vehicular emissions 584.2.2.14 Emission factors for other transport 584.2.2.15 Rail

Found: Other non-exhaust road vehicular emissions 584.2.2.14 Emission factors for other transport 584.2.2.15 Rail

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Found: station on the Strathspey Railway 29 September 2023Rail Accident Report This report is published by the Rail

Found: Richmond Hill to Lord Austin of Dudley regarding the diversion or replacement by buses of CrossCountry rail

Found: Government Development of Geological Disposal Facility Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS) Direct Rail

Found: Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and TransportTransport2023-03-01 00:00:00Speech / Virtual Pre-record: Rail

Found: Scotland and is tasked with delivering the Scottish Government’s vision for Transport including roads, rail

Found: Scheme is forecast to protect 5,800 people, 2,650 homes, 330 businesses and the community's road and rail

Found: pragmatic Valerie Davidson, SPT • Still struggling to get people back to public transport (rail

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Found: until Q2 2013) , Royal Mail Group plc (until Q3 2013), Post Office Ltd (until Q2 2006) and Network Rail

Found: £2,200,000 Transport Scotland Trunk Roads Trunk Roads Active Travel £4,000,000 Transport Scotland Rail

Found: •In Scotland smart ticketing is available on bus, rail, subway and tram, with ‘universal’ smartcards

Found: Travel costs including flights, rail travel from Washington D.C. to New York City, and public transport

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Found: pipeline transportation methods for moving captured CO2 into geological storage, including by road, rail

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Found: Passenger services on the Alloa-Dunfermline rail line: EIR release

Found: Passenger services on the Alloa-Dunfermline rail line: EIR release

Found: lUpgrade and reconfigure rail power supplies to support existing and future electrification of our

Found: • Campaign for Borders Rail met with Bill Reeves, Director of Rail, Transport Scotland, on 25 May

Found: accompanied on the flights by her Private Secretary; the Special Adviser travelled to London separately by rail

Found: private space within which to provide and receive free and frank advice to industry partners in Scottish Rail

Found: 7 new electric ferries as part of the Small Vessel Programme.We will also continue to invest in our rail

Found: Registers of Scotland £59,279.95 Renfrewshire Council £71,622.54 Scotrail franchise (Scottish Rail

Found: , please delete.2018-6108DIRECTOR-GENERAL ECONOMY / TRANSPORT SCOTLAND / TRANS : Transport Scotland Rail

Found: Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG 23 August 2023 D ear Màiri, M inimum Service Levels for Passenger Rail

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Found: Network Rail made a conscious choice to improve its approach to asset maintenance for CP7, relying less

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Found: Correspondence between Transport Scotland and Department for Transport regarding extension to the Borders Rail

Found: Correspondence between Transport Scotland and Department for Transport regarding extension to the Borders Rail

Found: Correspondence between Transport Scotland and Department for Transport regarding extension to the Borders Rail

Found: Correspondence between Transport Scotland and Department for Transport regarding extension to the Borders Rail

Found: Correspondence between Transport Scotland and Department for Transport regarding extension to the Borders Rail

Found: Correspondence between Transport Scotland and Department for Transport regarding extension to the Borders Rail

Found: Correspondence between Transport Scotland and Department for Transport regarding extension to the Borders Rail

Found: Correspondence between Transport Scotland and Department for Transport regarding extension to the Borders Rail

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the scope of the role of Transport Scotland, including any duplication of (a) responsibility and (b) funding in the period (i) before and (ii) after the new structures were put in place regarding the nationalisation of ScotRail.

Answered by Hyslop, Fiona - Cabinet Secretary for Transport

ScotRail was brought into the public sector under Scottish Government control.

Transport Scotland carries out, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, the role of the Franchising Authority. ScotRail Trains Limited (SRT) is a train operating company who provides certain rail passenger services.

Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH) is an arm’s length entity, who manages and oversees delivery of SRT services.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that Scottish Rail Holdings Limited aligns with the provisions of the UK Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill.

Answered by Hyslop, Fiona - Cabinet Secretary for Transport

As the Bill is currently passing through the UK Parliament, we do not yet know what its final provisions will be.

However the Scottish Government welcomes the objectives of the Bill as introduced, which we believe align with the policy of Scottish Ministers that a fully publicly owned and integrated railway will deliver the best service for Scotland. Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd. is required to follow this policy.