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Written Question
High Speed 2 Line
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many boreholes along the HS2 Phase 2 route have (a) been filled and (b) had land restored since the decision to cancel Phase 2; and when he expects the work of removing boreholes and compounds along the Phase 2 route be completed.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Work continues to develop the closedown, remediation, and demobilisation plan for Phase 2. A further update will be provided in the next HS2 parliamentary report.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Line: Staffordshire
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the value engineering report for the design of the proposed Handsacre Junction of HS2 from 2018.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Department does not hold and is not aware of a value engineering report of the proposed HS2 Handsacre Junction from 2018.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Line: Staffordshire
Monday 11th March 2024

Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the value engineering report for the design of the proposed Handsacre Junction of HS2.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

There have been no value engineering reports on Handsacre junction since Network North. Previous decisions to change the design of Handsacre junction were made to reduce costs and disruption for passengers on the West Coast Main Line during construction, which was value for money given the previous plan to deliver Phase 2a on an accelerated timeframe would have resulted in the use of the junction for more than 1 train per hour in each direction only for a very short period.


Written Question
Avanti West Coast: Rolling Stock
Wednesday 7th February 2024

Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on (a) whether any issues were identified during the testing of new Hitachi AT300 rolling stock to replace Voyager on Avanti West Coast services, (b) whether an assessment has been made of the potential effect of the lack of tilt mechanism for those trains on (i) maintaining safe operation around bends at speed, (ii) journey times and (iii) rail timetables and (c) for what reason the tender for the rolling stock replacement for Voyager on Avanti West Coast services did not specify the inclusion of a tilt mechanism.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The procurement, safety risk assessment, and safe operation of the Hitachi AT300 rolling stock is the responsibility of the operator. When running rolling stock procurements, operators take account of factors such as what products are available to the market, reliability, operating cost, passenger capacity, comfort and environmental performance. Network Rail is currently upgrading infrastructure on parts of the West Coast Main Line to allow higher speed running with non-tilting trains. The Office of Rail and Road is responsible for ensuring the new trains meet rail safety regulatory requirements before they can operate on the mainline.

The Department is looking forward to the introduction of Avanti West Coast's brand new Hitachi rolling stock later this year which will replace its current diesel fleet in line with the Department's goal to run a more sustainable railway, resulting in a 61 per cent cut in carbon emissions, as well as offering more space and a quieter journey for passengers.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Line: Contracts
Thursday 22nd June 2023

Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made a provision for a break clause in the HS2 Phase 2a Design and Delivery Partner contract; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Invitation to Tender for the HS2 Phase 2a Design and Delivery Partner was published on 13 January 2022. This set out the structure of the contract including the segmenting of the work into Service Delivery Plans.

Following the fiscal settlement for Phase 2a for the next two financial years as agreed in the Spring budget, HS2 Ltd are advancing the DDP procurement and a tender addendum was issued to the parties on 31 May 2023. The plan is to award the contract in November 2023 commencing with Service Delivery Plan 1. Decisions on contracting subsequent Service Delivery Plans will be taken at the relevant point in the delivery of project.


Written Question
High Speed Two and Network Rail: Handbooks
Tuesday 21st February 2023

Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the joint Network Rail-HS2 On Network Works handbook; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

We have no plans to publish the On Network Works handbook as it is an internal document.


Written Question
Cross Country Line: Rolling Stock
Monday 30th January 2023

Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason it is not his policy to replace Crosscountry train rollingstock with bi-mode multiple units for use with overhead electric wires.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Most trains in the CrossCountry fleet are around 20 years old; far from their operating life expectancy. CrossCountry are working with rolling stock owners to reduce the carbon footprint of its train fleet.

Our Transport Decarbonisation Plan commits to delivering a Net Zero rail network by 2050, with sustained carbon reductions in rail along the way. Our ambition is to remove all diesel-only trains from the network by 2040.


Written Question
Cross Country Line: Rolling Stock
Monday 30th January 2023

Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to upgrade train rolling stock on Crosscountry services to (a) address overcrowding and poor accessibility and (b) meet 2050 net zero targets.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The rolling stock requirements for the next CrossCountry contract are yet to be decided. Most of its fleet is around 20 years old, far short of the trains’ life expectancy, and is all fully accessible. The Department will consider value for money proposals offering an increase in capacity and wider passenger benefits.

CrossCountry is working with the rolling stock owners on options to reduce the carbon footprint of the CrossCountry train fleet.


Written Question
Cross Country Line
Monday 30th January 2023

Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to (a) address overcrowding on and (b) improve connectivity of rail services between Manchester and Birmingham via Stoke-on-Trent.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

I welcome that passengers are returning to the railway. The CrossCountry franchise runs to October 2023 and a new contract is being developed. This will consider options for affordable opportunities to increase capacity on CrossCountry services in future years.

CrossCountry is working to increase the frequency of services connecting Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent with Birmingham, Bristol and Bournemouth during 2023, and their plans will be made public soon.


Written Question
Railway Stations: Retail Trade
Friday 23rd October 2020

Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Network Rail Limited’s Annual Report and Accounts 2020, page 1, to what extent (a) station retail sales and (b) income to reinvest have grown (i) nationally, (ii) in each of the five Network Rail Regions, and (iii) at Stoke-on-Trent station; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

In 2019/20, income from Network Rail’s managed stations, all of which is reinvested in the railway, grew by £8m / 4%.

A full break down of this information by region is provided in the table attached.

Stoke-On-Trent Station is owned by Network Rail and leased to the Train Operating Company, Avanti. We do not hold information on income for this station.