Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that consumers are informed about the rail compensation scheme.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Department is working with the Office of Rail and Road, and with the rail industry to promote better awareness of Delay Repay and other compensation schemes.
We are mandating increased use of technology to inform passengers pro-actively that they are entitled to claim, using Apps, social media and onboard announcements. The introduction of simple and speedy ‘one-click’ automated claims systems, available via smartphones and smartcard registration, forms part of stronger obligations for future train operators under UK government-awarded franchises, ensuring that passengers are more aware than ever of their right to compensation.
Northern and TransPennine Express (TPE) are required by the Department in the terms of their franchise agreement to ‘use all reasonable endeavours to make passengers aware of their right to claim compensation’ and the Department has been clear to these TOCs that this applies to the special compensation scheme that was introduced on affected routes on Northern and TPE following the May timetabling disruption, as well as to Delay Repay compensation.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to improve the rolling stock operating on Northern railways.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The train operators, Northern and TransPennine Express, will deliver brand new trains, including more than 500 new carriages, room for 40,000 extra passengers and more than 2,000 extra services a week. By 2020 all the trains will be brand new or completely refurbished, and all the Pacer trains will be gone.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make representations with Northern Rail on improving disabled access in train stations (a) in Blackburn and (b) across the North of England.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Inclusive Transport Strategy, strategy published on 25 July 2018, included a commitment to extend our Access for All programme across rail Control Period 6 (2019 to 2024) with an additional £300m of funding from the public purse.
We have asked the industry to nominate stations for the new funding by 16 November this year. Nominated stations will be selected based on their annual footfall, weighted by the incidence of disability in the area. We will take into account local factors such as proximity to a hospital or the availability of third party funding for the project. We will also ensure that there is a fair geographical spread of projects across the country.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress is being made on plans for electrification of the trans-pennine railway line.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
We are working with Network Rail and Transport for the North to determine the best way to achieve major improvements for passengers on the Transpennine Route and will make further decisions on how this will be implemented later this year.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of Northern services operating at weekends.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Northern franchise will be providing around 400 additional Sunday services by the end of 2019 compared with the start of the franchise in 2016, many of which have already been introduced. As regards current weekend performance we would urge RMT to call off their planned industrial action on Saturdays, especially as there are talks taking place at ACAS. The level of Sunday cancellations continue to remain unacceptable and Northern must urgently look to resolve this issue.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress is being made on plans for electrification of the trans-pennine railway line.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The government is investing nearly £3bn between 2019 and 2024 in this upgrade, one third of our expected investment in rail enhancements between 2019 and 2024. It will be a rolling programme of enhancements including both major civil engineering and electrification. And we are working with Network Rail and Transport for the North to determine the best way to achieve major improvements for passengers. We will make further decisions later this year.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effect of the reduction of local bus routes and services on social inclusion for the elderly in Blackburn.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Buses play an essential role in connecting us to friends and family as well as to vital public services. Where there is not enough demand for a bus route to be commercially viable in its own right, all local authorities have powers to subsidise bus services which they consider socially necessary.
I fully appreciate that local authorities are making difficult choices as a result of ongoing financial pressures. Those authorities are best placed to decide how to provide supported bus services - reflecting local needs and within available budgets.
The Bus Services Act 2017 provides the tools local authorities need to improve local bus services. We are working with interested local authorities to determine which of the powers provided are best able to support bus networks in their areas.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has taken preparatory steps to bring train services operated by (a) Govia Thameslink Railway and (b) Northern Rail back into public ownership.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
On Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), the Department is currently reviewing whether GTR met their contractual obligations in the planning and delivery of this timetable change. Should this review find that GTR have been negligent in their implementation of the timetable, all available options will be considered.
On Northern Rail, performance has improved and cancellations have reduced in the weeks following the timetable change. Northern’s compliance with its contract continues to be monitored but no preparatory steps have been taken to bring it into public ownership.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of a third runway at Heathrow airport on the Northern Powerhouse project.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Expansion at Heathrow will benefit the North, be that through the commitment to about 15 per cent of new slots being used for domestic routes, or through the thousands of new jobs and careers across the country that Heathrow has estimated will be created.
The Department remains committed to the Northern Powerhouse. Between 2018/19 and 2020/21, the Department for Transport will be investing £831 per head on road and rail upgrades in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber – more than £30 more per head than in London and the South at £799. The Department for Transport continues to work closely with Transport for the North and local partners to maximise benefits for passengers, businesses and the region as a whole.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment his Department has made of domestic rail fare costs compared to European averages; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Rail Delivery Group published in February 2018 a report showing a comparison of European railways against those in Great Britain. It showed that our domestic railway comes second after Finland in terms of passenger satisfaction which stood at just below 80%. It also showed that we have one of the least subsidised rail networks in Europe which delivers value for taxpayers, the economy and passengers – a previous report by Passenger Focus found that Great Britain has the most frequent services in Europe for commuters.