Asked by: Lord Agnew of Oulton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to page 15 of the report Great British Railways: The William-Shapps Plan for Rail, published on 20 May 2021 (CP 423), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the adjudication by the Delay Attribution Board regarding responsibility for delays caused by a train hitting a pheasant.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail was published by the previous administration, and we are unable to comment on the specific editorial choices or illustrative examples contained within it. The department is focused on current implementation of rail reform.
Asked by: Lord Agnew of Oulton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication on 19 February of Current PFI and PF2 projects as at 31 March 2024, why the A69 Carlisle to Newcastle project (project ID 245) incurred payments in 2023–24 of £14 million on a capital value of £9 million, and what proportion of those payments was for (1) lifecycle maintenance, and (2) capital repayment.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The A69 Carlise to Newcastle Project is a 30-year PFI project expiring in March 2026. At financial close in 1996, the project comprised of the design and build of Haltwhistle Bypass, a 2-mile section of the A69, and the maintenance and renewal of the 52-mile route between Carlisle and Newcastle for the 30-year contract period. The capital value in the 19 February published data refers to the cost of the design and construction of the Haltwhistle bypass.
The unitary payments to the PFI company (Road Link (A69) Limited) are an all-in payment that covers the overall services provided. This effectively includes amounts related to the original design and construction of the Bypass, as well as both the maintenance (routine and lifecycle) and operation of the longer stretch of road. However, the payment is not structured such that there are defined parts for each of the different elements within the services provided.
Road Link (A69) Limited will continue to incur maintenance, renewal and operating costs on the 52-mile route until the expiry next year. They will also incur costs related to their handback obligations to National Highways, which include extensive, independent surveys to confirm asset condition, and any costs to bring it up to the required condition, before the road is handed back to National Highways when the PFI expires.