Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on which train operating companies have engaged external contractors for revenue protection (a) on trains and (b) at stations.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
My Department is aware that external contractors to support improved revene protection have been engaged for Chiltern and Northern on trains and for Southeastern, Chiltern, Northern and Govia Thameslink Railway at stations. It is important that train operating companies are protecting revenue and that passengers are paying for their fare, reducing the subsidy from taxpayers into the railway. Over the last three years, the Government has contributed £45.9bn, just over £1,500 per household, to the running of the railways which is unsustainable.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the change in the number of people travelling by passenger rail from 2024 to (a) 2030, (b) 2040 and (c) 2050.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
In line with our published guidance, the Department has developed a number of possible rail demand forecasts in both the medium and long term. The Department considers a wide range of evidence for our project appraisals and policy decisions.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the projected passenger number were in the business case for each (a) new station and (b) reopened rail line in the last 10 years; and what the actual passenger numbers were in each case 12 months after they opened.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Benefit Cost Ratios (BCRs) within the economic case are only one element of decision-making on schemes and should be considered alongside the other cases in the five case business model used in Government (strategic, economic, financial, commercial and management cases). Therefore we do not routinely make BCRs available.
Details of Rail infrastructure and assets lists new stations opened in the financial year can be found here https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/infrastructure-and-emissions/rail-infrastructure-and-assets/ Not all of these were promoted by the Department.
Estimates of station usage contains annual estimates of the number of entries/exits and interchanges at each station in Great Britain https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-usage
In practice it can take a number of years for long term demand patterns to emerge for new stations. The Department (and bodies who promote their own schemes) have a long standing and established appraisal framework to help scheme promoters forecast passenger demand of new stations and lines. We are continuing to monitor our framework and use evaluation to understand the impacts of schemes.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to reduce the presence of guards on trains.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to reforming outdated working practices and improving the operational and financial sustainability of the sector. Train operating companies as the employer can consider where roles can be more adaptable and flexible in future. The UK’s rail network is one of the safest in Europe and our commitment to safety will not change. We will never compromise the safety of passengers on our railways and as the industry takes forward reforms, safety remains a top priority for all parties.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the internal analysis with which his Department estimated that £1.5 billion could be saved within five years by delivery of the planned efficiencies set out in the the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, published in May 2021, CP 423.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
We're committed to reforming the railways and we are getting on with delivering improvements for passengers, freight customers and the taxpayer. As outlined in the Plan for Rail, industry experts suggested savings of £1.5bn per annum could be achieved through rail reform after an initial five-year implementation period. Work continues to develop plans to deliver these savings.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse has been of processes enacted by his Department following the issuing of mandates to train operating companies on station reform in 2023.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
No estimate of these costs are available. Government had asked train operators to reduce the cost of the industry to the taxpayer given the challenging financial situation facing the railways; as well as ensure staff are deployed where they are most needed by passengers.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to publish the Passenger Demand Forecasting Handbook.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Passenger Demand Forecasting Handbook is owned by the Passenger Demand Forecasting Council, of which the Department is a member. As per the Passenger Demand Forecasting Scheme rules only members and associate members of the scheme are granted a licence to the Passenger Demand Forecasting Handbook.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of new jobs that will be created by Great British Railways.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The number of new jobs that will be created by Great British Railways (GBR) is subject to further work and approval within a business case. GBR will be a streamlined organisation that is regionally focused with supporting central functions. The majority of functions that GBR will take on already exist in DfT, Network Rail and Rail Delivery Group. GBR will unlock the potential of track and train collaboration for the benefit of passengers, freight users, and taxpayers – helping to create a compelling offer to existing and potential industry staff.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to pages 89-90 of the Williams-Shapps plan for rail, if he will provide an update on the steps taken by his Department to strengthen the contribution of the railways to the nation’s green recovery.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As part of the Plan for Rail, we will invest to radically reform and improve passengers’ experience of fares, ticketing and retailing on the railways. We have delivered on these commitments, extending single-leg pricing on the LNER network from June, and committing to extending contactless pay as you go ticketing to 53 stations in the Southeast and working to agree pay as you go pilots in the North by the end of the year. Since 2021, we have sold over 850,000 new flexible season tickets to support commuters’ return to rail following the pandemic and will continue to protect passengers from cost of living pressures by not increasing next year’s rail fares by as much as the July RPI figure.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to incentivise train operating companies to encourage more people to use railways.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State remains committed to working with industry to increase the number of people using the railway.
Under the current National Rail Contracts, operators are awarded a Performance Based Fee based on the standard of customer experience and operational performance that they deliver. This incentivises operators to improve the aspects of the railway that are most important for attracting more passengers.
We are currently working with industry to develop a stronger revenue incentive to build into National Rail Contracts at the earliest opportunity. This is intended to increase the commerciality of the railway and, in turn, grow passenger numbers.