Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 57342 on Robin Hood Line: Standards, what proportion of trains on the Robin Hood Line arrived (a) on time and (b) within three minutes in each of the last six months.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The proportion of Robin Hood Line services in each rail period (4 weeks) from 8 December 2024 to 24 May 2025, (a) that arrived at their destination on time was: 50.7%; 54.9%; 60.4%, 59.8%; 57.8% and 60.5% and (b) trains that arrived at their destination within 3 minutes was 74.9%, 80.1%, 83.8%, 84.8%, 82.1%, 84.4%.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help reduce rail fares.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are overhauling the fares system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare. We need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, ensuring everyone gets a fair deal.
This year's fares increase of 4.6 per cent was the lowest increase in three years and will help to support the Government’s long-term plans to achieve financial sustainability of the railway.
Our rail sale, celebrating the 200th anniversary of passenger train in this country, saw passengers travelling with up to 50 per cent discounts on their fares from 17 January to 31 March, accounting for just over 1 million discounted trips, bringing in £9.23 million in gross sales.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of roads in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England are deemed to be in poor condition.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In the financial year ending March 2024, the percentage of Local A roads and motorways in Nottinghamshire where maintenance should have been considered was 3%, B and C roads was 4%, and unclassified roads was 35%. For the same period, in England, the percentage of Local A roads and motorways where maintenance should have been considered was 4%, B and C roads was 7%, and unclassified roads was 17%. The Department does not hold information of the condition of roads for Ashfield constituency.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve public transport services outside of major cities.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are committed to funding all local areas to deliver their local transport priorities. We are providing £2.3 billion over the spending review period through the Local Transport Grant for local transport improvements outside of London and the largest city regions.
We will invest around £900 million each year over the SR period to maintain and improve vital bus services and ensure buses are accessible and affordable for all – building on the £955 million we are providing to local authorities and bus operators in 25/26 to support and improve bus services in England outside London, including areas outside of city regions.
£616 million was announced for Active Travel England to support local authorities to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure.
£24 billion capital funding was announced to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country. This funding will allow National Highways and Local Authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England's road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.
Rail services, including those outside of major cities, are supported by requirements on train operators to plan services and design timetables to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. The government commitment to public ownership through Great British Railways will also help to deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient transport services, whilst also ensuring safety and accessibility.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department holds data on the number of bus services (a) delayed and (b) cancelled across Ashfield constituency in each of the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department does not hold data on the number of services (a) delayed and (b) cancelled for Ashfield constituency.
The Department publishes average bus punctuality rates on the percentage of non-frequent bus services running on time and the average waiting time for frequent services on GOV.UK. This data is not available at constituency level, but is available for Nottinghamshire, the upper-tier local authority Ashfield constituency is part of.
More granular (daily, route-level etc.) punctuality data is provided through the Analyse Bus Open Data Service (ABODS). ABODS enables DfT, local transport authorities, and bus operators to view detailed performance metrics, including line-level, stop-level, and individual journey punctuality, as well as on-time, early, and late arrival patterns based on GPS data from buses.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will introduce step free access at Kirkby-in-Ashfield railway station.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
In May 2024, the previous government selected 50 stations for initial feasibility work for potential upgrades as part of our Access for All programme. This did not include Kirkby-in-Ashfield railway station.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve (a) reliability and (b) frequency on the Robin Hood Line in Nottinghamshire.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department meets the train operator every four weeks to discuss performance. Last period 89 per cent of Robin Hood Line services arrived on time or within three minutes. Currently, there are no plans to increase the frequency of services on this route.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the legalisation of self-driving vehicles on people whose jobs require driving.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The development of self-driving vehicle technology has the potential to support our Plan for Growth, creating up to 38,000 high-quality jobs, and unlocking £42 billion for the UK economy by 2035. Additional benefits will include reducing human error – which causes nearly 9 in 10 road collisions – and offering new, flexible transport options, particularly for those with limited mobility.
We expect that the introduction of self-driving vehicles will be gradual, given the current readiness of the technology. We are committed to continued engagement with affected groups, including representatives for taxi, bus and private hire vehicle drivers, as we develop and implement the secondary legislation underpinning the Act.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on the proportion of people reliant on public transport in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire, (c) the East Midlands, (d) England and (e) the UK.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport holds no direct data or estimates of reliance on public transport.
The National Travel Survey (NTS), overseen by the Department, collects data on the proportion of households who have no access to a car or van for England (22% in 2023) and East Midlands (21% in 2023). NTS data is not available at constituency, county or UK level.
The 2021 Census for England and Wales, overseen by the Office for National Statistics, also collected data on the proportion of households with no cars or vans, as shown in the table below.
Area | Proportion of households with no cars or vans |
Ashfield | 20.6% |
Nottinghamshire | 18.3% |
East Midlands | 19.1% |
England | 23.5% |
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department holds data on changes in bus usage in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England since the increase in the bus fare cap.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The bus fare cap was increased in January 2025. Currently, the only available data relating to bus usage after this date comes from the Domestic Transport Usage by Mode publication available on GOV.UK, which contains daily figures at the Great Britain outside London level only.
No data are held on bus usage at (a) constituency level.
On 19 June, daily data for (b) Nottinghamshire are due to be published on GOV.UK for the first time as part of the new Daily local bus passenger and trip statistics publication.
In November, annual data for the year ending March 2025 covering (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England are due to be published on GOV.UK as part of the regular Annual bus statistics publication.