Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in rail services following the covid-19 pandemic on (a) workforces and (b) inner city economies.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The industry continues to adjust service levels as passenger demand patterns evolve following the pandemic. Nationally passenger journeys are at around 80 per cent of 2019 levels whilst train operators are providing around 90 per cent of the services they operated in 2019. We continue to work closely with operators and Network Rail to ensure that service levels remain appropriate to expected demand and deliver good value for the taxpayer.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) reducing funding to rail operators that run fewer services since the covid-19 pandemic and (b) compensating commuters affected by reduced services on the rail industry.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The contracts we have in place with operators automatically reflect the nature and volume of services they run in the funding they are provided.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to encourage rail operators to reinstate services which were cut during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As the pandemic has changed travel habits, the Department expects train operators to use this opportunity to reassess their services to provide efficient rail timetables that respond to new passenger travel patterns, are fit for the future, and carefully balance cost, capacity and performance.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what financial support his Department has provided to the railways sector for the continuance of rail services since the beginning of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Wendy Morton
From the start of the pandemic to the end of this financial year, Government has committed to more than £14bn of funding for passenger services.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department incurred financial cost in obtaining the SAGE report, Academics: Modelling the factors that influence exposure to SARS-CoV-2 on a subway train carriage, 22 July 2021.
Answered by Maggie Throup
No financial costs were incurred in obtaining this report. The report was produced by the University of Leeds, with the Department for Transport, supported by £1.7 million from the UK Research and Innovation, through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeframe is for rail timetables to return to pre-pandemic levels of service frequency.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The pandemic is changing travel habits, and we are starting to see some substantial changes in passenger demand for rail travel. As we recover from the pandemic, we must ensure services are adjusted to meet these changes. We are working with the rail industry to ensure that services are appropriate to passenger demand, whilst prioritising the good performance passengers need, and delivering good value for the taxpayer.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the end of plan B covid-19 restrictions, whether he has issued updated guidance to rail operators on service (a) levels and (b) capacity to account for the absence of restrictions.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Department continues to work closely with rail operators as they adjust timetables to meet the demand for travel and to mitigate the impact of staff absences on rail services. Following the lifting of Plan B restrictions, the Department has worked with train operating companies as they manage the reinstatement of services and develop sustainable timetables which provide sufficient capacity to meet demand as staffing pressures ease.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects, if any, of the current reduction in rail services on those wishing to return to work in person.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department has been working closely with rail operators as they mitigate the impact of staff absences on rail services.
The current temporary train timetable is providing passengers with certainty so they can plan their journeys confidently as they return to work in person. As staffing pressures ease and passenger demand increases, operators are increasing rail services accordingly to meet demand.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to coordinate with train operators on the eventual lifting of (a) work from home instructions and (b) other Plan B covid-19 measures to help ensure that there will be enough trains running to meet the anticipated demand.
Answered by Wendy Morton
Throughout the pandemic, the Department has worked with operators as they manage their timetables to ensure that services meet the demand for travel and deliver good value for money. The Department will continue to engage with operators on changes to guidance and other Plan B measures to ensure that services meet demand as staff absence pressures ease.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to cut one in four trains from service; and whether a new timetable is being prepared to scale back rail services in response to a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Government has no plans to remove one in four trains from service. Rail operators are responsible for mitigating the effects of the pandemic on their business, and for ensuring they are able to provide services within existing operational constraints. In response to significant resourcing challenges caused by the current surge in COVID-19 cases, many operators have implemented temporary revised train timetables, which provide passengers with certainty and reliability.