Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support Luton Airport’s plan to promote rail travel to its terminal through a new Luton Airport Express on the East Midlands Line.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Officials are currently involved in collaborative discussions with East Midlands Railway, Govia Thameslink Railway and Luton Airport, covering issues such as service branding, marketing and communications to promote rail travel to Luton Airport and take advantage of the introduction of the Luton Airport DART.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is working with rail operators to promote the fast service from St Pancras International to Luton Airport Parkway when the DART launches in 2022.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Officials are currently involved in collaborative discussions with East Midlands Railway, Govia Thameslink Railway and Luton Airport, covering issues such as service branding, marketing and communications to promote rail travel to Luton Airport and take advantage of the introduction of the Luton Airport DART.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support the launch of a Luton Airport Express.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Officials are currently involved in collaborative discussions with East Midlands Railway, Govia Thameslink Railway and Luton Airport, covering issues such as service branding, marketing and communications to promote rail travel to Luton Airport and take advantage of the introduction of the Luton Airport DART.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to include increased rail services to Luton Airport Parkway as part of the East Midlands rail franchise.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
We are also considering the case for additional services to Luton Airport Parkway and have been working collaboratively with Luton Airport to understand their proposals. Any outcome will seek to secure the best value for money for the taxpayer, and be in the best interests of rail passengers.
All options for rail services in the next East Midlands rail franchise are subject to analysis of the potential benefits and our consultation with stakeholders, which closed on 11 October 2017. Thus, no decisions have been made on rail services that will be specified for the next franchise. The next franchise is planned to start in August 2019. Invitations to Tender (ITT) are due to be issued to potential bidders later this year. The ITT will set out the minimum requirements and provide the baseline that we expect the next franchise to build on.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential economic benefits for Luton Airport of including increased trains services to Luton Airport Parkway in the East Midlands rail franchise, and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Government and rail industry are investing in the biggest improvement in rail travel since the Victorian era, including through the upgrade of the Midland Main Line. This programme will improve rail journeys for passengers using the Midland Main Line to travel into London St Pancras.
Once electrification of the Midland Main Line to Corby is complete in 2020, passengers at Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough, Bedford, Luton and Luton Airport Parkway will benefit from a new, dedicated, fast commuter service into London St Pancras. The electric trains will be longer, with more seats.
We are also considering the case for additional services to Luton Airport Parkway and have been working collaboratively with Luton Airport to understand their proposals. Any outcome will seek to secure the best value for money for the taxpayer, and be in the best interests of rail passengers.
All options for rail services in the next East Midlands rail franchise are subject to analysis of the potential benefits and our consultation with stakeholders, which closed on 11 October 2017. Thus, no decisions have been made on rail services that will be specified for the next franchise. The next franchise is planned to start in August 2019. Invitations to Tender are due to be issued to potential bidders later this year. The ITT will set out the minimum requirements and provide the baseline that we expect the next franchise to build on.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require the introduction of an express-style train service to London Luton Airport.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Government and rail industry are investing in the biggest improvement in rail travel since the Victorian era, including through the upgrade of the Midland Main Line. This programme will improve rail journeys for passengers using the Midland Main Line to travel into London St Pancras.
Once electrification of the Midland Main Line to Corby is complete in 2020, passengers at Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough, Bedford, Luton and Luton Airport Parkway will benefit from a new, dedicated, fast commuter service into London St Pancras. The electric trains will be longer, with more seats.
We are also considering the case for additional services to Luton Airport Parkway and have been working collaboratively with Luton Airport to understand their proposals. Any outcome will seek to secure the best value for money for the taxpayer, be in the best interests of rail passengers.
All options for rail services in the next East Midlands rail franchise are subject to analysis of the potential benefits and our consultation with stakeholders, which closed on 11 October 2017. Thus, no decisions have been made on rail services that will be specified for the next franchise. The next franchise is planned to start in August 2019. Invitations to Tender are due to be issued to potential bidders later this year. The ITT will set out the minimum requirements and provide the baseline that we expect the next franchise to build on.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for more trains to stop at Luton Airport Parkway each day.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Government and rail industry are investing in the biggest improvement in rail travel since the Victorian era, including through the upgrade of the Midland Main Line. This programme will improve rail journeys for passengers using the Midland Main Line to travel into London St Pancras.
Once electrification of the Midland Main Line to Corby is complete in 2020, passengers at Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough, Bedford, Luton and Luton Airport Parkway will benefit from a new, dedicated, fast commuter service into London St Pancras. The electric trains will be longer, with more seats.
We are also considering the case for additional services to Luton Airport Parkway and have been working collaboratively with Luton Airport to understand their proposals. Any outcome will seek to secure the best value for money for the taxpayer, be in the best interests of rail passengers.
All options for rail services in the next East Midlands rail franchise are subject to analysis of the potential benefits and our consultation with stakeholders, which closed on 11 October 2017. Thus, no decisions have been made on rail services that will be specified for the next franchise. The next franchise is planned to start in August 2019. Invitations to Tender are due to be issued to potential bidders later this year. The ITT will set out the minimum requirements and provide the baseline that we expect the next franchise to build on.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the consultation document on East Midlands rail franchise, published in July 2017, whether his Department has considered the effect on the local economy of an increase in the number of fast trains from London to London Luton Airport to four an hour.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is still undertaking a process of information gathering to develop the specification for the next East Midlands rail franchise.
All options for future East Midlands services are subject to analysis of the potential benefits and consultation with stakeholders, which is currently ongoing. We are considering the case for additional services to Luton Airport and are working collaboratively with Luton Airport to understand their proposals. Any outcome will seek to secure the best value for money for the taxpayer, be in the best interests of passengers and the decisions will be taken using economic analysis, which includes social and environmental impacts.
The formal public consultation continues until 11 October and will inform the specification, I would strongly encourage the honourable Member to make his views known through the consultation process before it closes.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether consultation on the East Midlands rail franchise will take into account the volume of air passengers at London Luton Airport; and what assessment he has made of the (a) economic, (b) social and (c) environmental merits of improved rail services related to that franchise to that airport.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
All options for future East Midlands services are subject to analysis of the potential benefits and consultation with stakeholders, which is currently ongoing. This consultation explicitly raises the issue of services to Luton Airport Parkway.
The formal public consultation continues until 11 October and will inform the future franchise specification.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what account his Department has taken of the volume of air passengers from London Luton Airport in its work to define the scope of the forthcoming East Midlands rail franchise consultation; and what assessment he has made of the potential (a) economic, (b) social and (c) environmental benefits to that airport from improved rail services related to that franchise.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is currently undertaking a process of information gathering to develop the specification for the next East Midlands rail franchise. All options for future East Midlands services are subject to analysis of the potential benefits and consultation with stakeholders. We are considering the case for additional services to Luton Airport and are working collaboratively with Luton Airport to understand their proposals. Any outcome will seek to secure the best value for money for the taxpayer and be in the best interests of passengers.
We are due to begin a formal public consultation soon to inform the specification and I would strongly encourage the honourable member to make his views known through the consultation process when it opens.