Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the damage to the new overhead electric lines in the Severn Tunnel.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
As of the December 2019 timetable, Network Rail have been unable to successfully operate electric services in the Severn Tunnel due to contamination of overhead line insulators. This does not affect the benefits delivered by the December 2019 timetable, as the small journey time impact of running in diesel can be absorbed by the timetable. They have been working with Cardiff University to assess ways of mitigating the effects of the contamination and are installing electrical switching equipment to allow maintenance cleaning to be done more easily in the future. Testing will commence in Spring 2020, with an aim of commencing electric services before the end of 2020.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether electronically assisted pedal cycles categorised as EU type approved L1e-A are required to be registered with the DVLA for use in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
There is no requirement to register electronically assisted pedal cycles used in Great Britain.
However, these vehicles are currently classed as motor vehicles in Northern Ireland and must be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency when used there. The use of electrically assisted pedal cycles on public roads in Northern Ireland is a transferred matter. Until the Northern Ireland Assembly re-convenes there are no plans to align the legislation.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the contract to transfer eight class 172 diesel trains from the Gospel Oak to Barking line to West Midlands Trains will be completed.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
West Midlands Trains (WMT) is the leaseholder of the Class 172 trains and is currently subleasing five of them to London Overground for Gospel Oak to Barking services. WMT will be calling trains back from this sublease to allow for the required modifications and driver training prior to entry into service in May 2019.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many class 172 diesel trains operating on the Gospel Oak to Barking line have already been transferred to West Midlands Trains.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Three of the Class 172 trains used on the Gospel Oak to Barking line have been transferred to their leaseholder, West Midlands Trains. The trains are currently undergoing modifications to allow them to run on the West Midlands Trains’ routes, including vital adaptations to install accessible toilets. The modification of these units will then be followed by a schedule of driver training.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 17 January (HL12702), why the decision was taken to build platforms on the new HS2 line at a lower height than the nominal permitted 915 mm.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are not building new platforms on the HS2 line at a lower height than 915mm. Rather, at the new HS2 stations, platforms will be circa 1115mm above rail height. This is higher than most current UK Network Rail platforms (which are nominally 915mm above rail height, though, for historical reasons, this can vary significantly).
The higher platform height for HS2 was chosen to improve passenger accessibility by achieving step-free access between all new HS2 platforms and the new high speed trains. HS2 Ltd, in cooperation with the Department, consulted international rolling stock manufacturers on the design and technical requirements needed to provide step-free access for HS2 and simultaneously achieve HS2’s target capacity and journey times. This consultation indicated that specification of an increased platform height was necessary.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they anticipate new electric trains will be in service on the Gospel Oak to Barking line.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Gospel Oak to Barking rail line is run by Transport for London (TfL). This is not a matter for the Department for Transport (DfT) as such. The Mayor of London is accountable for this service and will be able to assist with this question.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what derogations from EU legislation the UK has in respect of the heights of platforms at UK railway stations.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The EU Infrastructure Technical Specification for Interoperability contains an exemption allowing new or upgraded UK railway station platforms to be built to a nominal height of 915mm.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 14 March, how long they estimate tolling on the Severn Bridges will have to continue in order to collect the additional £63 million beyond the date of the end of the concession on these bridges.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
This depends on traffic levels and on maintenance costs, both of which may change over time. However our current estimates suggest the £63m could take around 18 months to recoup at the toll levels announced in the recent Budget.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 14 March, whether they intend to continue tolling the Severn Bridges at the prevailing rate at the end of the concession until they have collected an additional £63 million above and beyond operational costs of managing the Bridges.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Chancellor announced in his Budget speech that tolls at the Severn Bridges will be cut by 50% at the end of the current concession. Tolls will continue at this lower level to collect the costs of £63m incurred outside of the concession.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 14 March, how the £63 million which will be still outstanding when the Severn Bridges return to public ownership at the end of the concession is broken down.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Most of the cost estimated to have been incurred outside of the concession relate to expenditure between 1992 and 2014, on capital (17%), operations including maintenance (50%) and administration (15%). The remainder was incurred before 1992 or is forecast to be spent between 2015 and 2018. More than half of the operations and maintenance expenditure was to investigate and correct cable corrosion.