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.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the dates on which the leases for West Midlands Trains' rolling stock expire; and which entity owns those trains.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
West Midlands Trains’ rolling stock leases for the Class 172/0, 172/1, 350/1, 350/3 and 350/4, which are owned by Angel Trains, are set to run until 31 March 2026. The Class 196/0, 196/1, 730/0, 730/1, and 730/2 leases also run until 31st March 2026 and are owned by Corelink. Finally, Porterbrook own the Class 139, 172/2 and 172/3, which expire on 31 March 2026, as well as the Class 350/2 fleet which expire on 30 September 2025.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date the powers to make compulsory purchases of land for HS2 Phase 2a purposes expire.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Compulsory Purchase powers under the Phase 2a Act will expire on 11th February 2026.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date the powers to make compulsory purchases of land for HS2 Phase One purposes expire.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The powers to make compulsory purchases of land for HS2 Phase One expired on 23 February 2022.
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 5.83 of the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, how much funding has been allocated to progress the next stage of Midlands Rail Hub West.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Chancellor confirmed Midlands Rail Hub is a priority for the Government and £123m has been committed for the next phase of the Programme.