Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what additional work his Department plans to carry out within (a) the Edge Hill Cutting, (b) the station throat and (c) to the platform arrangements to accommodate extra services to the southern approach to Liverpool Lime Street as proposed by Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2; and how much budget has been allocated to this element of Northern Powerhouse Rail at Q3 2019 prices.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Work on the NPR scheme between Liverpool and the Parish of Millington and Rostherne, is currently at strategic scheme development stage. This work is being carried out in line with WMS of 25 March, which set out that Northern Powerhouse Rail will develop a route that is in favour of serving Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport and will use the previously proposed route between the parish of Millington and Rostherne and Manchester. A formal consultation on the remainder of the preferred route is expected to take place in due course.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the (a) cost of and (b) timeframe for the re-signalling of Cambridge junction.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Cambridge Junction is due to be re-signalled with European Train Control System technology, also known as digital signalling, as part of the East Coast Digital programme (ECDP).
The overall cost of the East Coast Digital Programme is around £1.9bn. This is made up of funding from the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline and Network Rail infrastructure renewals funding over Control Period 7 (2024-2029). Programme costs have not been broken down further to particular areas and would be complicated by factors such as the overall cost of fitting trains with the equipment required to use digital signalling, and the cost of training railway staff.
The ECDP will implement digital signalling on the East Coast Mainline southern section by 2030, with junctions along this route progressively upgraded in line with asset sustainability and alignment with the overall programme schedule. The re-signalling in the area around Cambridge Junction is expected to be ready from February this year for trains fitted with digital signalling equipment.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on their plans for new guidance to replace Southern Access to Heathrow: Strategic Objectives, published on their website on 4 November 2019; and, further to the answer by the Minister of the State for Transport on 22 July 2020 (HC Deb col 2268), in which he said that he was keen to “move forward at pace”, what specific steps have been taken to progress this since that date.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Government remains committed to improving rail access to Heathrow airport and our ambition is that any Southern Access to Heathrow scheme is funded and delivered by the private sector. Proposals need to be developed in a way that does not require government funding and secures significant benefits. We continue to discuss options and engage with the promoters as they work to resolve these outstanding issues.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which areas to the north of Birmingham on the West Coast Mainline will have increased (a) train paths and (b) platforms following the construction of phase two of HS2.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
HS2 will provide high-speed inter-city services on dedicated lines that will free up train paths and platforms on the southern end of the West Coast Main Line, and generate much-needed additional network capacity. The indicative train service assumptions that underpinned the IRP and inform the HS2 and NPR business cases included HS2 services to several destinations on the north end of the West Coast Main Line.
Platform capacity at Crewe will increase as a result of the arrival of HS2 services. There will be 16 platforms in the new station layout, an increase of 4. Some of these will be bay platforms which will remove the conflict of mainline services such as HS2 and regional services, possibly opening up further timetabling options. Works to platforms at Preston and Carlisle are also planned as part of HS2 Phase 2b Western Leg.
No final decisions have been made on the train service that will run when HS2 becomes operational. These decisions will be taken nearer the time, drawing on advice from the West Coast Partnership and Network Rail, and will be subject to public consultation.
Asked by: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Conservative - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the average annual remuneration of train drivers on Southern Rail in 2020-21.
Answered by Wendy Morton
Information relating to train drivers’ salary is managed and set by the individual Train Operating Companies in line with their annual budgets.
The Office for National Statistics report that median gross annual pay for all train and tram drivers in the UK was approximately £59,000 in 2021.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contractual arrangements for the leasing of rolling stock were agreed by his Department as part of the Govia Thameslink Railway National Rail Contract announced on 1 April 2022.
Answered by Wendy Morton
As a condition of signing the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern National Rail Contract, Govia Thameslink Railway was required to enter into contractual arrangements for the leasing of appropriate rolling stock. Units have been leased from a number of different rolling stock companies under varying terms.
Asked by: Elliot Colburn (Conservative - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Govia Thameslink Railway on restoring rail services to pre-pandemic levels, especially during peak hours, to and from (a) Carshalton, (b) Carshalton Beeches, (c) Hackbridge and (d) Wallington stations.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The level of peak services at these four stations is broadly similar to that offered in the December 2019 timetable (the most recent timetable not affected by the pandemic). Services are operated by Thameslink and Southern, and both are continuing to work collaboratively with Network Rail and across the industry to improve the punctuality and reliability of services.
As COVID-related restrictions have eased, the industry is adjusting service levels across the country. In line with the Department’s objectives, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates Thameslink and Southern services, is focusing on providing more capacity for commuters returning to the workplace. Its 15 May 2022 timetable change increases the frequency of weekday services where there was significant unmet demand. GTR aims to use its trains as efficiently as possible and reduce overlap where an alternative service exists. Across the GTR network, passenger numbers are approximately 70% of pre-pandemic levels.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 24 March 2021 (HL14132), when they will announce the process for securing a private sector development partner for the Southern Railway Link to Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Government intends to provide an update alongside publication of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, which is expected shortly.
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 capacity of the Operator of Last Resort to run Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern services in the event that is necessary when the Govia Thameslink Railway contract expires in March 2022.
Answered by Wendy Morton
I can confirm that, in line with my Department’s usual approach, officials in my Department have been working on contingency plans to transfer Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern services to the public sector operator in the event of it not being appropriate to enter into a replacement contract with the existing operator in accordance with the Section 26 policy statement (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/243471/9780108512322.pdf).
I am advised that in the event that it is not appropriate to enter into a replacement contract with the incumbent operator, my Department will be in a position to transfer these services to the public sector operator from 1 April 2022 without any break in the continuity of services.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether a cost benefit analysis has been conducted of the Operator of Last Resort running Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern rail services.
Answered by Wendy Morton
I can confirm that my Department is following its well-established procedure for selection where no invitation for tender is issued in accordance with the Section 26 franchising policy statement (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/243471/9780108512322.pdf). This process takes account of all relevant factors, in accordance with paragraph 14 of that policy, including value for money.