Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the (a) Avanti and (b) South Western train contracts.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
For Avanti West Coast (AWC), no assessment has been made as the operator has a contract with a core term until 15 October 2026, after which the Department can terminate the contract at any point with three months' notice.
The National Rail Contract for South Western Railway ends in May 2025 having been extended by the maximum two-year period to a maximum term of four years. A Prior Information Notice was issued on 2 April 2024 setting out the Department’s intention to seek to obtain a Direct Award with SWR at the end of the current contract. The proposed Direct Award is expected to have a core term of three years and a potential maximum term of up to eight years.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to minimise disruption to South West rail passengers in the context of the construction of the new High Speed 2 station at Old Oak Common.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department is working with Network Rail, HS2 Ltd, Transport for London and train operating companies to minimise disruption to South West rail passengers. Diversions of services to other London terminals, such as Euston, is under active consideration. This could provide Great Western Railway passengers access to a central London terminal with numerous onward travel connections. Passengers could alternatively use Ealing Broadway station, as they did successfully during the December 2023 engineering works.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2024 to Question 11198 on Railways: WiFi, for which train operating companies the quality of wi-fi provision is (a) subject to a minimum service requirement and (b) a key performance indicator.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
In general, under the Department's National Rail Contracts and Service Contracts, Wi-Fi quality standards are for train operators to determine. However, South Western Railway has a specific business plan commitment to provide, on an initial trial basis, free super-fast Wi-Fi on certain types of rolling stock between Earlsfield and Basingstoke stations.
Any requirements relating to the provision of Wi-Fi by train operating companies contracted by devolved and local authorities would be a matter for those authorities.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure the delivery of planned facilities improvements to Pokesdown station by Network Rail.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
DfT Officials are in regular contact with South Western Railway, Network Rail and the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, through all-party meetings and correspondence, to ensure that the facilities improvements at Pokesdown for Boscombe station are carried out. A total of £5.7m has been allocated by all parties to the project, which is currently in the design stage, with funding agreements to shortly be agreed.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of FTE vacancies there are in (a) ticket offices and (b) other station staff grades at (i) Avanti West Coast, (ii) Chiltern, (iii) C2C, (iv) East Midlands, (v) Greater Anglia, (vi) Great Western Railway, (vii) Govia Thameslink Railway, (viii) LNER, (ix) Northern Trains, (x) Southeastern, (xi) South Western Railway, (xii) Transpennine Express and (xiii) West Midlands Trains.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department does not routinely receive information from train operating companies on vacancies for roles at railway stations.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the proportion of time that ticket offices were not open during their regulated hours at (a) Avanti West Coast, (b) Chiltern, (c) C2C, (d) East Midlands, (e) Greater Anglia, (f) Great Western Railway, (g) Govia Thameslink Railway, (h) LNER, (i) Northern Trains, (j) Southeastern, (k) South Western Railway, (l) Transpennine Express and (m) West Midlands Trains in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department receives a range of management information to support effective contract management. This data is provided under terms of commercial confidentiality and cannot be released. It is the train operating companies' responsibility to comply with their regulated hours (schedule 17).
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with South Western Railway on its ticket office consultation.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The proposals to reform railway station ticket offices were industry led. I regularly hold meetings with stakeholders, including train operating companies.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they became aware that train operators Southeastern, South Western and Govia Thameslink Railway had halted recruitment of new ticket office staff; and whether they are aware of any other train operators which have taken similar action prior to the start of consultation on ticket office closures; and what assessment they have made of the ability of train operators to fulfil their contractual legal obligations having halted the recruitment of ticket office staff.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Train operators manage their own vacancies, staffing levels and recruitment processes in line with their annual business plans and are expected to deliver their contractual obligations as good and efficient operators.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with South Western Railway on ticket office closures.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department has regular meetings with South Western Railway, as it does with all train operating companies, to discuss a wide range of topics, including how best to operate stations and serve passenger needs in the most efficient and effective way.
Together with the rail industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience, and moving staff out from behind the glass of ticket offices and into more visible and accessible roles around stations is a central part of this.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with South Western Railway on taking steps to support (a) elderly and (b) disabled passengers after the closure of ticket offices.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department has regular meetings with South Western Railways, as it does with all train operating companies, to discuss a wide range of topics, including how best to operate stations and serve passenger needs in the most efficient and effective way.
When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups.