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Written Question
Railways: Finance
Thursday 28th March 2024

Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 25 November 2020 to Question 120953 on Network Rail: Finance and pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2024 to Question 18100 on Railways: Finance, what assessment he has made of the causes of the differential in the rail enhancements budget for 2019 to 2024.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The answer provided 25 November 2020 to Question 120953 on “Network Rail: Finance” referred to the budget for rail enhancements during the years 2019-2024. The answer provided 12 March 2024 to Question 18100 on “Railways: Finance” referred to the spend on rail enhancements in each year of that period. The comparison is therefore of a budget, stated as £9.4bn after Spending Review 2020, to the spend against that budget estimated at £8.63bn over the same period. There is no differential in the rail enhancements budget implied by that comparison. The difference in the figures comes from a degree of underspending against budget in each year of the first 4 years of the period.


Written Question
Railways: Finance
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2024 to Question 11059 on Railways: Finance, how much was spent on rail enhancements in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021, (d) 2022 and (e) 2023.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Rail enhancements are delivered through the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, which has spent the following in each year in CP6 (including contributions to 3rd party schemes), from 2019 (figures shown in £m, nominal):

a) 2019/20: £1,475m

b) 2020/21: £1,477m

c) 2021/22: £1,685m

d) 2022/23: £1,840m

e) 2023/24: £2,156*

* (outturn data for 2023/24 is provisional and is subject to change)


Written Question
Railways: Exports
Wednesday 31st January 2024

Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate she has made of the value of rail exports in (a) 2023, (b) 2024, (c) 2025 and (d) 2026.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

Research published by Oxford Economics in 2021 estimated that the rail industry contributed £43 billion Gross Value Added to the UK economy in 2019, supporting 710,000 jobs.

The ONS data shows that in 2022 the UK exported £433 million rail transport services and £293 million worth of railway equipment in this year.

For the 12 months to November 2023, ONS goods data shows that the UK exported £453 million worth of railway equipment. Services data is not available for this time period.

We do not have estimates for the value of UK rail exports in 2024 or in future years. However, this Government will continue to help UK companies to export from the rail sector and our Export Strategy sets out the support we provide through our network of international trade advisers, sector specialists, UK Export Finance, and the export support service.


Written Question
Railways: Exports
Wednesday 31st January 2024

Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an estimate of the value of (a) rail industry and (b) all exports in the last 12 months.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

Research published by Oxford Economics in 2021 estimated that the rail industry contributed £43 billion Gross Value Added to the UK economy in 2019, supporting 710,000 jobs.

The ONS data shows that in 2022 the UK exported £433 million rail transport services and £293 million worth of railway equipment in this year.

For the 12 months to November 2023, ONS goods data shows that the UK exported £453 million worth of railway equipment. Services data is not available for this time period.

We do not have estimates for the value of UK rail exports in 2024 or in future years. However, this Government will continue to help UK companies to export from the rail sector and our Export Strategy sets out the support we provide through our network of international trade advisers, sector specialists, UK Export Finance, and the export support service.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Line: Euston Station
Wednesday 20th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the comments of the Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission in the Financial Times on 26 November, in which he casts doubt on the Government’s plan for connecting the HS2 rail line to Euston through private financing.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Network North paper published by the Department for Transport on 4 October 2023 sets out that private finance will be leveraged to ensure contributions to the cost of Euston from those people and businesses it supports. The opportunity for regeneration and new homes in the Euston area is one of the largest in central London. This development-led approach will bring in private finance, along with a reduction of the transport scope to deliver only what is required at Euston. This will reduce the costs to the taxpayer. We are also taking on the lessons of success stories such as Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms, which secured £9 billion of private sector investment. The exact design of the model to be used, how it is taken to market, as well as how and where the alternative funding generated by this will be spent, is commercially sensitive and still subject to further work to ensure we are optimising funding and delivery. Ministers and officials have held positive initial conversations with potential funders. There will be a range of options within this that are still being considered and will require more time to develop before a final proposal is determined.


Written Question
Railways: Costs
Tuesday 14th November 2023

Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made a comparative estimate of the cost of the railway industry in (a) England and (b) other European countries.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Office of Rail and Road publish annual statistics on rail industry finances (including sources of income and expenditure) by country and network rail region:

Table 7216 – GB Rail Industry Finances since 2015-16 by country And NR Region | ORR Data Portal

In 2021-22 total expenditure on the operation of rail services in England was £20.9 billion. This was split by Network Rail expenditure (£9.5 billion) and franchised train operators (£11.4 billion).

The Department has not made comparisons with rail costs in other countries. However, some expenditure on rolling stock and railway infrastructure information is collected by Eurostat:

Statistics | Eurostat (europa.eu)


Written Question
Trams: Midlands
Wednesday 27th September 2023

Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support new tram lines extensions or new tram lines in the East and West Midlands.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Responsibility for promoting new mass transit schemes, or extensions to existing networks, is devolved to local transport authorities (LTAs) in England. LTAs are best placed to bring forward new mass transit proposals, which could include light rail or tram technology, based on local transport challenges and opportunities.

Currently, the principal way LTAs can access Government funding for mass transit schemes which they wish to prioritise is through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) for eligible Mayoral Combined Authorities. West Midlands Combined Authority has been allocated a Settlement of £1.05 billion between 2022/23 and 2026/27.

In the East Midlands, Nottingham Express Transit is financed under a private finance initiative structure. The current contract, which was signed in 2011, expanded the tram network, doubling the previous size. The cost of this expansion will be met over the 23-year life of the contract, and the Department for Transport makes an annual contribution of £24.95 million per annum, alongside a contribution from Nottingham City Council to pay for this scheme.


Written Question
Network Rail: Finance
Wednesday 31st May 2023

Asked by: Lord Carrington of Fulham (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they require Network Rail to maximise income generation at each site within its estate, regardless of heritage or other impacts; and if so, whether they will publish that policy.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

There is no such policy. Network Rail is a publicly funded body, subject to Managing Public Money guidance on public spending and private finance and is held to account by The Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The ORR determines how much money Network Rail needs to run the business efficiently and to deliver the infrastructure for the UK and Scottish Governments. Business plans across the regions and its estate focus on delivering a better experience for passengers and customers. Where projects with a strong commercial case can attract private investment to deliver a better railway, this allows public funding to be invested in other areas of the network. Network Rail follows all guidance and regulations to ensure such partnerships are fully compliant with rules governing public bodies, as set out in its Framework Agreement with the Department for Transport.


Written Question
Network Rail: Contracts
Wednesday 31st May 2023

Asked by: Lord Carrington of Fulham (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance applies to Network Rail entering into contracts with private companies to develop publicly owned assets for private profit; and whether a public tender for contracts is required.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Network Rail is subject to the Government's Managing Public Money Guidance on use of private finance and to public procurement rules.


Written Question
Network Rail: Finance
Wednesday 5th April 2023

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated maintenance budget of Network Rail is in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024; and whether that estimated budget has been revised in the last 12 months.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Network Rail’s business plans were last updated in February 2023. The forecasted maintenance spend for 2023 and 2024 is shown below:

  • April 2022 – March 2023, the forecasted maintenance spend is £2.1bn
  • April 2023 – March 2024, the forecasted maintenance spend is £2.2bn

Following the Secretary of State’s High Level Output Specification and Statement of Funds Available for Control Period 7, that was issued in early December, Network Rail will shortly publish a response which will provide more detail on the maintenance plans for 2024-2029.