Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme on standing levels and overcrowding on Brighton Main Line services used by passengers in Dorking and Horley constituency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The previous government cancelled the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme (CARS) at Spending Review 2021. The Secretary of State updated Parliament on 8 July on which rail and road infrastructure projects will proceed following the 2025 Spending Review.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential long-term impact on economic productivity of delivering Crossrail 2, in the context of levels of economic uplift from the Elizabeth Line.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the potential long-term impact on economic productivity of delivering Crossrail 2. The scheme was paused in 2020.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme on the (a) economic and (b) productivity status of residents commuting from Dorking and Horley constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The previous government cancelled the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme (CARS) at Spending Review 2021. The Secretary of State updated Parliament on 8 July on which rail and road infrastructure projects will proceed following the 2025 Spending Review. CARS has not been allocated funding at this time.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the funding provided to the British Transport Police for protecting (a) people and (b) property at train stations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The British Transport Police (BTP) play a vital role in keeping passengers and staff safe across the rail network. Their budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) following proposals from the Force and engagement with industry and railway operators.
As with all police forces, the Chief Constable of the British Transport Police (BTP) has operational independence over the deployment of officers and other resources to meet their objectives as agreed with the BTPA. The protection of people and reducing crime on the railways are key to these objectives, as set out in the BTP’s 2022 – 2027 Strategic Policing plan. BTPA and DfT regularly discuss with BTP their delivery and performance against these objectives.
BTP’s budget has recently been set for the next three financial years. In 2026/27, it will increase by 6.2%, with provisional agreement for budget increases of 5.6% and 2.5% over the subsequent two years – an increase of over £65m from £415m in 2025/26 to £481.5m in 2028/29, allowing for the creation of over 180 new officer roles for network policing.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce (a) guidance and (b) regulation to (i) cap and (ii) limit airport forecourt drop off and pick up charges.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The provision of and charging for car parking at airports (including drop off and pick up charges) is solely a matter for the airport operator, as a commercial business, to manage and justify. However, the Government expects car parking at airports to be managed appropriately, and for consumers to be treated fairly.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has undertaken a recent cost-benefit analysis of Crossrail 2, in the context of passenger numbers on the Elizabeth Line.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No – the Department has not undertaken a recent cost-benefit analysis of Crossrail 2 in the context of passenger numbers on the Elizabeth Line.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment her Department has made of forecourt drop off and pick up charging practices at major international airports, including in the United States and Europe.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The provision of and charging for car parking at UK airports (including drop off and pick up charges) is solely a matter for the airport operator, as a commercial business, to manage and justify. However, the Government expects car parking at UK airports to be managed appropriately, and for consumers to be treated fairly.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) contactless and (b) pay‑as‑you‑go ticketing on (i) fare concessions and (ii) passenger costs.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Following delivery of Pay As You Go (PAYG) ticketing with contactless to further stations in the South East, we will conduct a post-delivery evaluation. This will support our understanding of the impact of these changes on various aspects of the passengers’ experiences of and satisfaction with PAYG and fare reforms following implementation.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of Tap-In/Tap out on rail users at Surrey stations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We want to expand ticketing innovations such as Pay As You Go (PAYG) to more passengers. The Department considered several factors to determine which stations would have PAYG with contactless rollout for this phase of delivery. These included travel patterns, passenger benefits, operator views and the necessary changes to fares to ensure as many passengers as possible benefit from an improved experience. On 14th December we launched PAYG with contactless at a further 30 stations in the Southeast, and we will continue to ensure operators monitor these changes post implementation.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the lower age limit for adult peak-time rail fares on the families of students who turn 18 during the academic year while remaining in full-time education until the end of that year; and whether her Department plans to review age-based rail fare eligibility to ensure consistency for students who are required to travel to school or college during peak hours.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Adult fares are payable for passengers from the age of 16. The 16-17 Saver can be purchased to extend the discount on child fares to 16- and 17-year-olds.
The Government has no current plans to amend existing concessionary discounts. As set out in the Railways Bill, in future Great British Railways will have the flexibility to update and expand concessionary offers, following engagement with other operators, as passenger needs change.