Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people were hit by a train across the railway network in the last 12 months; and what steps she taking to prevent such incidents.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
According to British Transport Police (BTP) data, from November 2023 to October 2024, 358 people have been struck by a train on the railway; of these, sadly 304 people lost their lives. Of the 304 who died, 297 of those are suspected to have taken their own life by suicide, and 6 died in rail accidents (with one classification pending).
The Department is committed to working with the rail industry to reduce the number of deaths by suicide. Each rail operator is responsible for delivering a suicide prevention plan and maintaining accreditation to the independently assessed Safeguarding on Rail Scheme. Their plan must include training of public-facing staff in suicide prevention, putting in place mitigation measures at stations and promoting avenues of help for vulnerable people at risk of suicide or self-harm.
The rail industry works together, using campaigns and education, physical barriers, training staff and working with charities to prevent these incidents.
BTP works in collaboration with its partners to ensure all incidents are managed swiftly and people are treated with dignity.
Network Rail has a long-standing relationship with The Samaritans and funds the ‘Small Talk Saves Lives’ campaign. Since launching in 2017, the campaign has successfully raised awareness within railway stations and other public settings about the need to trust your instincts and start a simple conversation if you think someone might need help.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is her Department's policy to support the Crossrail 2 project.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Crossrail 2 has not received government funding since 2020 when the scheme was paused. The Department for Transport will be considering its future investment priorities as part of the current Spending Review.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to help tackle congestion on roads.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This Government is committed to maintaining and renewing our road network so it can serve all road users, is safe, and tackles congestion. Traffic management on local roads is the responsibility of local traffic authorities who are best placed to understand local needs.
Local traffic authorities are subject to the statutory network management duty which requires them to manage their roads to secure the ‘expeditious movement’ of all traffic including pedestrians, with a view to reducing congestion, and they have a wide range of tools already available to them to enable this.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many potholes her Department expects to be fixed in (a) 2024, (b) 2025, (c) 2026 and (d) 2027.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local road network. To this end, the Government will provide authorities with funding to help them fix up to one million more potholes across England in each year of this parliament. Confirmation of highways maintenance funding for future years is a matter for the forthcoming Budget and Spending Review.
Highways maintenance funding typically covers a range of maintenance activities and local authorities are best placed to decide how to spend it according to local needs and priorities. Government expects authorities to invest in all parts of the highway including cycleways, bridges, and lighting columns, and not just the fixing of potholes.