Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Transport

Oral Answers to Questions

Josh Babarinde Excerpts
Thursday 20th November 2025

(1 day, 5 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Keir Mather Portrait Keir Mather
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I thank the hon. Member for her important question about the reliability of train services in her constituency. We recognise that the number of cancellations is completely unacceptable, and that train crew availability issues have been driving many of those incidents. The Department has commissioned work to understand in detail the impact of train crew availability on performance. Issues such as staffing levels, recruitment, training, overtime and sickness have an enormous impact, and I reassure her that we are working with officials in the Department for Transport and inter-departmentally with DHSC to make progress on this important issue.

Josh Babarinde Portrait Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD)
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After leading a town-wide campaign to reinstate the direct Eastbourne to London Bridge service, I am delighted to say that it will return on 15 December. However, many passengers and staff on those trains, including Louise and Rhiannon, on-board supervisors whom I have met, are concerned about the amount of antisocial behaviour, and Southern rail’s lack of support for on-board supervisors in tackling it. What steps will be taken to keep passengers and staff safe from crime and antisocial behaviour on our train services?

Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call the shadow Minister.