Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of the £500 million funding announced for the Restoring Your Railway Fund in January 2020 (a) has been fully allocated, (b) is still to be allocated and cannot be cancelled for contractual reasons and (c) remains unallocated.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Ideas Fund element of RYR supported the development of early-stage business cases. As of 4 July 2024, £21.24m has been spent. The allocated funds were £50.84m.
Advanced Proposals refer to proposed lines and stations that were already being considered by the Department for Transport prior to the launch of Restoring Your Railway. As of 4 July 2024, £307.36m has been spent. The allocated funds were £322.59m.
The New Stations Fund is intended to fund new stations, with eight new stations across England and Wales being delivered. As of 4 July 2024, £20.58m has been spent. The allocated funds were £32m.
Following the Chancellor’s 29 July announcement, the Restoring Your Railway programme will be brought to a close.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the £500 million of funding announced for the Restoring Your Railway Fund in January 2020 has been allocated to (a) the Ideas Fund, (b) support advanced proposals for re-opening of railway lines, (c) support advanced proposals for re-opening of train stations and (d) support advanced proposals for new train stations.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Ideas Fund element of RYR supported the development of early-stage business cases. As of 4 July 2024, £21.24m has been spent. The allocated funds were £50.84m.
Advanced Proposals refer to proposed lines and stations that were already being considered by the Department for Transport prior to the launch of Restoring Your Railway. As of 4 July 2024, £307.36m has been spent. The allocated funds were £322.59m.
The New Stations Fund is intended to fund new stations, with eight new stations across England and Wales being delivered. As of 4 July 2024, £20.58m has been spent. The allocated funds were £32m.
Following the Chancellor’s 29 July announcement, the Restoring Your Railway programme will be brought to a close.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer of 29 July 2024, Official Report, column 1037, which projects under the Restoring Your Railway programme will not go ahead.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Aside from Restore Your Railway projects currently at the RNEP ‘Deliver’ stage or in delivery/construction, all remaining Restore Your Railway originated projects are now being considered as part of preparations for the Spending Review. Ministers have been clear that not all projects will be able to proceed to delivery due to the challenging financial situation facing the Department.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support will be provided to schemes that have already received funding for early stage development under the Restoring Your Railway Fund.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Former Restoring Your Railway (RYR) projects are being considered as part of the Department’s capital spending portfolio review ahead of preparations for the Spending Review. As my Right Honourable Friend, the Chancellor has set out, decisions must be made based on the assessment of the spending inheritance from the previous Government
Asked by: Sam Rushworth (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the decision was taken not to grant Restore Your Railway funding to the Weardale Line; and for what reason that decision was taken.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Aside from Restoring Your Railway (RYR) projects currently at the delivery stage or in construction, all remaining RYR-originated projects, including the Darlington to Weardale line, are now being considered as part of preparations for the Spending Review. Ministers have been clear that not all projects will be able to proceed to delivery due to the challenging financial situation facing the Department.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she made an assessment of the adequacy of each business case submitted to the Restoring Your Railway Fund before deciding to withdraw that funding.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Chancellor’s statement of 29 July 2024 confirmed that the Restoring Your Railway (RYR) programme will be brought to a close. Aside from RYR projects currently at the delivery stage or in construction, all remaining RYR-originated projects are now being considered as part of preparations for the upcoming Spending Review. This will include reviewing the business cases of these projects. Ministers have been clear that not all proposed transport projects will be able to proceed to delivery due to the challenging financial situation facing the Department.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help mitigate the impact of the cancellation of the Restoring Your Railway programme on (a) regional connectivity and (b) economic development.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Aside from Restoring Your Railway (RYR) projects currently at the delivery stage or in construction, all remaining RYR-originated projects are now being considered as part of preparations for the Spending Review. Ministers have been clear that not all projects will be able to proceed to delivery due to the challenging financial situation facing the Department.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to improve rail connections in Somerton and Langport in the context of the cancellation of the Restoring Your Railway Fund.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is undertaking a capital spend portfolio review. The review will consider a number of projects under the former Restoring Your Railway programme.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government when decisions will be announced regarding applications submitted as statements of business cases in the Autumn of 2022 for the Restoring Your Railway Fund (RYR) to move forward to Stage 3 of the RYR process; and whether they will explain the reasons for the delay in announcing those decisions.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The timeframe for providing responses to schemes that have submitted business cases through the Restoring Your Railway programme will vary. The Department is not yet in a position to provide details on next steps for a number of schemes but hopes to be able to do so in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what budget is available for the Restoring Your Railway scheme, announced in January 2020.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Following the Network North announcement, many more Restoring Your Railway projects can now be fully funded and delivered. The Department for Transport is in the early stages of planning next steps, including delivery timelines, for individual schemes and is working closely with Network Rail and other delivery partners to develop and deliver on Government priorities. Costs for delivering individual projects within the RYR programme will vary.