Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 2.18 of the National Audit Office report entitled High Speed Two: A progress update, published on 24 January 2020, whether HS2 Limited has updated its indicative estimate that the cost of undertakings and assurances was £1.2 billion; and in which year's prices was that estimate.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
HS2 Ltd has not updated this figure. The estimate was provided to the National Audit Office in late 2019 – at that time, HS2 Ltd’s cost estimates were in 2015 prices.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost of a single anytime (a) first and (b) standard class rail ticket between Durham and Basildon was in April (i) 2010 and (ii) 2024.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The single anytime fares from Durham to Basildon are as follows:
The regulated fare for many LNER routes switched from the Super Off-Peak return to the Super Off-Peak single in 2023 due to single leg pricing. The cost of the Super Off-Peak fare are as follows:
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Q12 of the oral evidence given by Alan Over to the Transport Select Committee on 9 July 2025, HC 1139, when her Department intends to write to the Transport Committee with the information referenced in the answer to that question.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Rail Minister sent a letter on 10 September 2025 providing further information regarding Q12 of the Transport Select Committee’s oral evidence session of 9 July 2025.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has held with railway trade unions on transfers of employment to DfT Operator Limited.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department and DFT Operator have regular discussions with trade unions on a range of topics, including the transfer of currently franchised rail passenger services into public ownership. As services are transferred into public ownership, staff employed by the privately-owned operator transfer to the public sector operator in accordance with Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations. Rail trade unions are intrinsically involved in this process.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps Network Rail are taking to ensure that its trackside vegetation management programmed is adequate.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Network Rail works hard to keep the rail network running. Its work to manage trees and other vegetation alongside the railway helps to keep trains running safely and on time. Network Rail carries out its activities in a way that minimises harm, and wherever possible improves the natural habitat while maintaining the performance and safety of the railway. Network Rail is committed to achieving an increase in biodiversity across the network by 2035 and publishes annual State of Nature reports to update on progress towards this commitment.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2025 to Question 65477 on Railways: Capital Investment, if she will publish each iteration of that graph during the fourth quarter of 2022.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The chart(s) in question represent scenario planning that was used to inform decision making of the previous administration and it is not appropriate to disclose them.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress Network Rail has made on the potential replacement of the Total Operations Processing System.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Network Rail Route Service’s Digital, Data and Technology Services Team has a project progressing to replace the Total Operations Processing System (and related Passenger Operations Information System).
This was started in January 2024 when funding had been allocated from the Control Period 7 settlement and is forecast to complete by Quarter 2 2029.
The System Release Proposal provides additional information about this work. This document was issued for formal consultation on 9 May 2025 to 8 July 2025 to at least 60 stakeholders. (This number may be greater due to onward sharing).
The Network Rail project team has received six formal responses of which only one was negative to the approach. Therefore, the project continues as planned.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Q252 of the oral evidence given by Huw Merriman to the Transport Select Committee on 2 July 2025, HC 575, if she will publish the graph referred to in the answer to that question.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The graph in question is regularly updated. We are unclear precisely which iteration of the graph Huw Merriman was referring to.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 04 July 2025 to Question 64211, on High Speed 2 Line: Compulsory Purchase, if she will extend those compulsory purchase powers until February 2031.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The government's priority is the safe delivery of HS2 Phase 1 between the West Midlands and London Euston at the lowest reasonable cost. Whilst we will not reverse the previous government’s decision to cancel Phase 2, we recognise concerns about rail capacity and connectivity between Birmingham and Manchester. We are reviewing our plans for future connectivity in the Midlands and the North, and we hope to say more in the coming months, including our plans for land and property between Birmingham and Crewe.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consultation her Department has undertaken with UK-based bus manufacturers on the potential impact of Section 37 of the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [Lords] on future sales of (a) hydrogen-fuel cell and (b) hydrogen combustion engine buses.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Clause 37 of the Bus Services (No.2) Bill will ultimately end the use of new non-zero emission buses on English bus services. The final date will be set out in later secondary regulations, however, will be no earlier than 1 January 2030.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell electric (HFC) buses, which are used in various parts of the country, are what is commonly meant by 'hydrogen buses'. These are available from UK manufacturers and do not emit any nitrogen oxides. They are zero emission at the tailpipe, so would continue to be usable under these regulations, along with battery electric buses. Hydrogen combustion engine buses are not present in the UK. They would emit nitrogen oxides, which are harmful to human health. They would therefore not be considered to be zero emission buses and would not be usable under these regulations.
My Department has engaged extensively with bus manufacturers as we have developed and then progressed this measure through Parliament.