Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any rail operators will be brought into public ownership before their contract expires.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill facilitates the Government’s commitment to bring passenger train operations into public ownership and enables the Secretary of State to commence the transition to public sector operation as current contracts reach their end date or contractual break point. This approach ensures that taxpayers will not need to compensate operating companies for ending contracts early.
The Bill does not exclude the possibility of terminating a contract before it expires if the train operating company defaults on its obligations, as set out in its respective National Rail Contract. National Rail Contracts are publicly available and can be accessed through the ‘Public register of rail passenger contracts’.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) the criteria for assessment and (b) her Department's planned timeline is for the review of individual Restoring Your Railways projects.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Aside from Restoring Your Railways (RYR) projects currently at the delivery stage or in construction, all remaining RYR-originated projects are now being considered as part of preparations for the Spending Review. Ministers have been clear that not all projects will be able to proceed to delivery due to the challenging financial situation facing the Department.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to ensure engagement with (a) the public and (b) campaign groups on decisions on transportation projects that have been (i) halted or (ii) altered due to the cancellation of the Restoring Your Railway programme.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Aside from Restoring Your Railways (RYR) projects currently at the delivery stage or in construction, all remaining RYR-originated projects are now being considered as part of preparations for the Spending Review. Ministers have been clear that not all projects will be able to proceed to delivery due to the challenging financial situation facing the Department.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help mitigate the impact of the cancellation of the Restoring Your Railway programme on (a) regional connectivity and (b) economic development.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Aside from Restoring Your Railway (RYR) projects currently at the delivery stage or in construction, all remaining RYR-originated projects are now being considered as part of preparations for the Spending Review. Ministers have been clear that not all projects will be able to proceed to delivery due to the challenging financial situation facing the Department.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on the (a) designs for and (b) delivery of the Midlands Rail Hub.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Following approval of an Outline Business Case, £123m was released to Network Rail in March 2024 to commence detailed design of Midlands Rail Hub’s first phase (for additional services between Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, and Worcester), while subsequent phases are at an earlier stage of development. Subject to future decisions about affordability and value for money, the first stage could be complete by the early 2030s.
The Chancellor set out on 29 July a range of pressures on public spending, including £2.9 billion of unfunded transport specific spending. Following this, the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement on 30 July set out that the Department is undertaking an internal review of its capital spend portfolio. This will support the development of our new long-term strategy for transport. Any decisions about the portfolio will be subject to broader discussions and fiscal decisions made at Budget and Spending Review.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the long-term sustainability of rolling stock manufacturing.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government recognises the importance of rolling stock manufacturing, and alongside our plan for the railways, Getting Britain Moving, we have committed to develop a long-term Rolling Stock Strategy which will support British manufacturing and innovation. My officials are working at pace on its development, and I will set out further details in due course.
My officials work closely with the sector to understand future rolling stock needs. As trains are assets with a lifespan of 35-40 years, the Government will seek to end the boom-and-bust cycle by ensuring that there is a strong pipeline of work.
There is now a clear domestic UK market for rolling stock procurement, with current competitions for SouthEastern and TransPennine Express underway. With other potential procurements on Chiltern, Northern, and Great Western upcoming, there are and will be numerous business opportunities available for rolling stock manufacturers.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help (a) maintain and (b) improve the operational performance of (i) Greater Anglia and (ii) other private rail operators during the transition to public ownership.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government’s approach will be consistent across all operators, including Greater Anglia. While National Rail Contracts (NRCs) remain in place, we will set stretching performance targets for each operator through the annual business planning process. These targets will be specific to each operator, reflecting their individual circumstances. Where performance falls short, we will require operators to put in place robust improvement plans. The Secretary of State has already met a number of poorly performing train operators and their Network Rail counterparts, setting clear expectations for immediate improvement.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on (a) strategic rail projects in the north of England and (b) Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are committed to a long-term approach to infrastructure and investment, taking account of local transport priorities. We will thoroughly review the fiscal position we have inherited before setting out more detailed plans for this in due course.