Asked by: Bob Stewart (Conservative - Beckenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of installing ticket barriers at Hayes railway station in the context of trends in fare evasion on the Mid-Kent line.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Southeastern is assessing the viability of installing ticket barriers at several of its stations including Hayes. Network Rail's Industry Revenue Generating Investment Fund allows the train operating companies to apply for funding for schemes that are financially positive and reduce the cost of rail to the public purse. Installing ticket barriers at Hayes is one of several potential schemes Southeastern is considering for an application to the fund later in the year. Applications will be assessed as part of a competitive process, therefore submitting a bid for a scheme is no guarantee of funding.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Conservative - Beckenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the funding provided to each London borough by Transport for London for the maintenance of the principal road network in (a) the 2023-24 financial year and (b) the last five financial years.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Since the start of the pandemic, the Government has supported TfL with over £6bn in grant funding. However, transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London, so decisions on money spent on road maintenance in London is for the Mayor and TfL to make. Therefore, the Department does not hold information on the money provided to each London borough via TfL.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Conservative - Beckenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has provided to Transport for London for the repair of potholes on (a) roads, (b) the principle road network and (c) London borough roads in the (i) 2023-24 financial year and (ii) previous five financial years.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Government has supported TfL throughout the pandemic as a result of a fall in passenger demand. This includes just under £1.2bn of funding in the latest settlement and takes government’s total funding to over £6bn since the start of the pandemic. However, as transport is devolved in London to the Mayor and TfL, it is for them to decide how much of it is used to maintain London’s roads.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Conservative - Beckenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to urge Network Rail to reopen the footbridge at Beckenham Junction station without delay.
Answered by Huw Merriman
I have been informed that the footbridge is due to be reopened in April.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Conservative - Beckenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with Southeastern on the potential merits of reinstating Cannon Street services on the mid-Kent (Hayes) line in the context of recent levels of congestion at London Bridge station.
Answered by Huw Merriman
To reduce congestion at busy junctions and give better punctuality and fewer cancellations for Southeastern customers overall, all trains on the Hayes line now go to London Charing Cross.
This means that customers looking to travel to Cannon Street need to change on to frequent connecting services at London Bridge or Lewisham. As the train operator, Southeastern are responsible for the detailed planning of their timetable and in doing so have to weigh up a range of factors such as passenger demand, operational impacts, customer feedback and financial constraints.
Department officials hold regular discussions with the Southeastern covering all aspects of their service including timetable development. Recent scenes of crowding at London Bridge, which attracted media attention, were unrelated to the timetable.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Conservative - Beckenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with Network Rail on restoring the passenger footbridge at Beckenham Junction station.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The footbridge at Beckenham junction is closed whilst Network Rail carry out a full refurbishment of it. My officials have been informed that the line possessions required to complete them are planned for the Christmas period, allowing the bridge to reopen in January 2023.