Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how Great British Railways will work with (a) Mayoral transport agencies and (b) Transport for London.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Great British Railways (GBR) will work in partnership with Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) and their transport agencies to ensure local priorities are reflected in rail planning and delivery. These partnerships will enable closer integration with local transport networks while balancing local influence with GBR’s responsibility for the wider regional and national network.
GBR will also maintain and strengthen collaborative arrangements with Transport for London (TfL), recognising its role in operating London Overground and Elizabeth Line services on the national network and supporting seamless journeys across modes.
Asked by: Emma Foody (Labour (Co-op) - Cramlington and Killingworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many holding objections have been issued by National Highways in (a) England and (b) the North East of England in each of the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The below table sets out holding responses issued by National Highways in England, and the Yorkshire and North East (YNE) operational region (the smallest for which data is available) in each of the last five financial years.
Year | Number of holding responses issued in England | Number of holding responses issued in YNE |
2024/25 | 2,117 | 401 |
2023/24 | 1,664 | 311 |
2022/23 | 1,049 | 157 |
2021/22 | 927 | 160 |
2020/21 | 849 | 127 |
The increase between pre and post March 2023 is a result of the change in how NH records and monitors its data.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the annual cost to the public purse of leasing train carriages per railway operator once the nationalisation programme is complete.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Three train operating companies have transferred into public ownership since July 2024, South Western Railway, c2c and Greater Anglia. The leasing arrangements for both c2c and Greater Anglia were novated on their existing terms and it is the intention to transfer the remaining operators from the private to public sector on existing lease terms. The annual cost of rolling stock to operators is published on an annual basis by the Office for Rail and Road.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to make train journeys more affordable since July 2024.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are overhauling the fares and ticketing system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare, and the move to Great British Railways will also help ensure passengers get a more consistent offer across the network.
We are already making positive changes, including through expanding ticketing innovations such as Pay as You Go across the South East, working with Transport for West Midlands and Transport for Greater Manchester on contactless Pay as You Go pilots in Manchester and the West Midlands, and delivering Digital Pay as You Go trials in the North and East Midlands. For most passengers this brings with it a best price promise on the day of travel. We have also supported London North Eastern Railway to trial easier to understand fares on some long-distance routes, allowing passengers to benefit from increased flexibility at lower prices than before.
Asked by: Emma Foody (Labour (Co-op) - Cramlington and Killingworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many holding objections have been issued by National Highways on applications in the North East of England due to the potential impact on Moor Farm roundabout.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways currently has four planning applications on holding recommendations relating specifically to Moor Farm Junction on the A19.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will hold discussions with train companies on enforcing rules relating to quiet carriages.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Many train operators have introduced quiet carriages on their services which require passengers to be considerate of others by keeping noise levels to a minimum. The enforcement of this is for the train operators to manage, and Great British Railways will be responsible for this as part of the customer offer in future. In addition, the Railway Byelaws set out rules on the playing of music or causing an annoyance due to the production or reproduction of sound, including possible fines of up to £1,000.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 79742 on Railways: Mobile Broadband, by what date mainline trains will be fitted with Low Earth Orbit satellite technology.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Funding for LEO satellite technology becomes available in the new financial year 2026, at which point my officials will begin the implementation of this on trains.
The objective will be to complete all installations within 5 years from 2026/2027, and this is based on our experience of fitting all GB trains with on-train wifi between 2016 and 2020.
Asked by: Emma Foody (Labour (Co-op) - Cramlington and Killingworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made on the value of road freight journeys through Moor Farm roundabout in each of the last five years.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As part of the consideration of potential improvements to Moor Farm junction, analysis underpinning value for money assessments will look at the value of delays to road freight, with Transport Analysis Guidance being updated to reflect the latest position on this in due course.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2025 to Questions 77047 on East Anglia Rail Franchise: Nationalisation, when she will publish the services agreement.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Services Agreement will be made available on the Department for Transport website in due course.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of nationalising South Western Railway on passenger rail prices since 25 May 2025.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As more train operators are brought into public ownership through the Department for Transport Operator and the establishment of Great British Railways, we must continue to ensure that passengers and taxpayers receive a fair deal. Since the pandemic, the level of taxpayer subsidy provided to the railway industry has increased from under a quarter of total income in 2018/19 to almost half in 2023/24. Our goal is to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers, while ensuring the railway’s long-term financial sustainability.