Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many tenants have rental agreements with Southeastern to operate businesses within stations that company manages.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
As of the 9 July 2020, Southeastern has 218 rental agreements with tenants to operate businesses within Southeastern managed stations.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many rail season ticket holders on the (a) Southeastern and (b) GTR Southern network have been unable to claim a refund for unused travel on their season tickets since his Department introduced the Emergency Measures Arrangements to support the rail sector.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The majority of rail season ticket holders (i.e. those with more than seven weeks remaining on their annual ticket) are able to claim a refund. Southeastern and GTR Southern introduced new processes to make claiming easier during COVID-19 travel restrictions, for example the ability for passengers to claim refunds remotely rather than returning their ticket to a ticket office. We have also allowed season ticket holders to backdate their claim to 17th March, when ‘do not travel’ advice was first introduced, and they now have up to 56 days to submit their claim.
The Department does not hold data on the number of season ticket holders who have been unable to claim a refund from Southeastern or GTR Southern since the introduction of the Emergency Measures Arrangements. This is because not all season ticket holders require a refund, as some still need to use their tickets to travel to work.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on e-scooters.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Department is reviewing the regulations that apply to e-scooters as part of our Future of Transport Regulatory Review. In response to COVID-19, we are accelerating and expanding planned trials of rental e-scooters, allowing all areas that want to host trials to do so. We will introduce legislation in June to allow trials to begin. Evidence gathered in trials will inform whether and how e-scooters should be legalised in the future.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish all communications from his Department to Network Rail on infrastructure improvements required on the Maidstone East line to deliver two Thameslink trains per hour between Maidstone East and Cambridge.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department regularly engages with Network Rail on a whole host of infrastructure matters.
We know how important it is to introduce the long awaited regular services between Maidstone East and the City as soon as possible. My officials continue to work with the industry to resolve the issues which have so far prevented a regular service from being introduced and to provide passengers in Maidstone with a regular all-day service to the City at the earliest opportunity. We will endeavour to arrange a meeting between my Honourable Friend, other relevant MPs and senior representatives from GTR and Network Rail to update on the situation and the work that is ongoing to find a solution as soon as practically possible in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2020 to Question 22006 on Thameslink Railway Line, if he will list the meetings (a) he, (b) his predecessors, (c) Ministers, (d) the predecessors of those Ministers and (e) his officials have had with (i) GTR and (ii) Network Rail to discuss the delivery of the Thameslink service on the Maidstone East line.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
A large number of meetings took place in 2018 and 2019 about the delivery of Thameslink services to Maidstone East.
We know how important it is to introduce the long awaited regular services between Maidstone East and the City as soon as possible. My officials continue to work with the industry to resolve the issues which have so far prevented a regular service from being introduced and to provide passengers in Maidstone with a regular all-day service to the City at the earliest opportunity. We will endeavour to arrange a meeting between my Honourable Friend, other relevant MPs and senior representatives from GTR and Network Rail to update on the situation and the work that is ongoing to find a solution as soon as practically possible in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions (a) he, (b) his predecessors, (c) current and former Ministers and (d) officials have had with GTR on making available an adequate level of rolling stock for the Thameslink service on the Maidstone East line.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Officials held a number of discussions from late 2018 until late 2019 with GTR and within the cross-industry group, the Thameslink Timetable Industry Readiness Board, to consider rolling stock provision for a Thameslink Maidstone East service. Ministers have not met with GTR specifically to discuss rolling stock provision for a Thameslink Maidstone East service, but do regularly engage with GTR on a wide range of issues.
We know how important it is to introduce the long awaited regular services between Maidstone East and the City as soon as possible. My officials continue to work with the industry to resolve the issues which have so far prevented a regular service from being introduced and to provide passengers in Maidstone with a regular all-day service to the City at the earliest opportunity. We will endeavour to arrange a meeting between my Honourable Friend, other relevant MPs and senior representatives from GTR and Network Rail to update on the situation and the work that is ongoing to find a solution as soon as practically possible in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2020 to Question 19978 on Railways: Uckfield, what his Department's timescale is for deciding what will replace class 171 rolling stock on the Uckfield Line.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Govia Thameslink Railway is in discussions with the Department to identify future requirements for the Uckfield line. However, these discussions are at a very early stage, and therefore we do not have any confirmed plans in place at this time. Further updates on this matter including timescales will be provided when it is appropriate to do so.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contractual obligations his Department has with Govia Thameslink Railway to deliver the Thameslink programme, including the service to Maidstone East.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Franchise Agreement between Govia Thameslink Railway and the Department specifies two trains per hour between Maidstone East and Cambridge (via the Thameslink core). As with any service introduction, this is subject to obtaining the necessary track access rights from Network Rail.
Following the introduction of the May 2018 timetable, which caused serious disruption to passengers, it was decided any new introduction of service would need to go through more rigorous scrutiny. Thus all future timetable changes need to guarantee the stability and reliability of services.
Unfortunately, introducing the Maidstone East Thameslink services onto an already busy and complex railway network is not yet possible without seriously compromising reliability of existing train services that thousands of passengers rely on every day. Several issues are currently preventing the introduction of the service: on top of timetabling constraints, rolling stock availability and stabling facilities are issues that need to be solved. I can assure my Rt Hon Friend the industry is working hard to resolve these and provide passengers in Maidstone with more frequent services to the City of London as soon as possible. I have had various meetings on this matter with all involved and understand how frustrating this delay is for residents of Maidstone, and other areas which will be served by this route. I will keep my Hon Friend up to date as solutions are found.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what compensation is available to passengers who have season tickets on the Tonbridge-Redhill rail line after that line being shut as a result of the landslip at Godstone in December 2019.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The matter of compensation for season ticket holders in the event of disruption is the responsibility of the train operating companies, in this case Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). Under its Passenger’s Charter, GTR operates both the Delay Repay and Enhanced Compensation schemes, and I would encourage season ticket holders and other passengers affected by the disruption on this route as a result of the landslip at Godstone to make the appropriate claims under these schemes.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the correspondence between his Department and Govia Thameslink Railway on the procurement of diesel units for the Uckfield line.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Govia Thameslink Railway is in discussions with the Department to identify future requirements for the Uckfield line. However, these discussions are at a very early stage, and therefore we do not have any confirmed plans in place at this time. The Department will not be publishing details of these discussions as they are of a commercially sensitive nature. Further updates on this matter will be provided when it is appropriate to do so.