Asked by: Derek Twigg (Labour - Halton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on reopening the Halton Curve railway line.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Following its inclusion in the Liverpool City Region Growth Deal, Merseytravel is managing the development and delivery of this devolved scheme on behalf of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. I understand that the business case for the scheme is expected to be considered by the Combined Authority at its meeting in April. If approved, work is expected to begin in June 2017 and be complete by May 2018.
Asked by: Derek Twigg (Labour - Halton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding he is making available to (a) Warrington and Cheshire West and (b) Chester councils to enable residents to travel toll-free across the Silver Jubilee Bridge and Mersey Gateway Bridge when those bridges are opened.
Answered by Andrew Jones
We are currently examining what the proposed extension of the local discount scheme for the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridges means for the scheme, in terms of the cost to the Department and the commercial structure of the contracts already signed for the scheme. Once this is clear we will be able to provide more information.
Asked by: Derek Twigg (Labour - Halton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether there are any plans to alter the opening hours of ticket offices in railway stations within Halton constituency.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Currently, we are not aware of Northern's plans to alter the opening hours of ticket offices.
Any such plans would be an operational matter for franchisee to propose.
Any proposal to alter the opening hours of a ticket office is governed by the Ticketing Settlement Agreement, details of which can be seen at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-railway-ticket-office-opening-hours, and does require consultation with the Department, and Secretary of State approval for major changes.