Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for road maintenance for metropolitan authorities.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises that historic under-investment has made it difficult for authorities to maintain their roads in the way that they would want to. The Government has therefore confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years. This new, four-year funding settlement is in addition to the Government's investment of £1.6 billion this year, a £500 million increase compared to last year. By confirming funding allocations for a four-year period, authorities have certainty to plan ahead and shift from short-term fixes to proactive, preventative maintenance.
Metropolitan authorities that are part of a Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA) who receive a City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), receive their baseline highways maintenance funding consolidated into their City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) which is paid to the relevant MSA. From 2027/28, 9 eligible MSAs will receive increased funding from the Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlement.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with Transport for West Midlands on improving bus reliability in the Black Country.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to helping local leaders improve local bus services and improve reliability across England, including in the West Midlands. The Department for Transport regularly engages with local authority representatives from the West Midlands Combined Authority, including as part of our support to local transport authorities pursuing bus franchising.
We are taking action to give local leaders the powers they need to deliver better bus services for passengers, including through the Bus Services Act 2025 which devolved powers to local authorities who know their local areas the best. In addition, the Government has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators to improve bus services over the spending review period. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year.
The West Midlands Combined Authority will be allocated £119.4 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29, in addition to the £37 million they are already receiving this year. This funding can be used to expand services and improve reliability.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what external agencies or consultants her Department or its arm’s-length bodies have commissioned to design the branding, logo and visual identity for Great British Rail; whether those contracts were subject to open competitive tender; how many bids were received; and what assessment she has made of value for money in awarding those contracts.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The brand unveiled on 9 December 2025 was developed in-house by staff at the Department for Transport with support from a livery design specialist who works for a train operator in public ownership. This approach was chosen to ensure good value for money for the taxpayer.
A specialist supplier on audience and accessibility testing was used to ensure that the branding unveiled and deployed would deliver against the Government’s objectives for Great British Railways (GBR) and meet the needs of a variety of users with a range of accessibility needs. This supplier was appointed under the Department’s usual procurement processes which include formal assessments of value for money.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total budget is for the development and rollout of branding for Great British Rail; and what the cost has been to date.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is working to develop a rollout plan for the GBR branding, with a focus on maximising opportunities to ensure value for money, such as repainting trains when they are due to be repainted by their leasing companies and changing station signage when it is life expired.
The brand was developed in-house by the Department for Transport with support from a livery design specialist who works for a train operator in public ownership – with the only minimal design cost being audience and accessibility testing, at £32,400 including VAT. This approach was chosen to ensure good value for money for the taxpayer.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Great British Rail branding designs currently in circulation are the final approved versions; what stages of design development or ministerial approval remain outstanding; what consultation has taken place with (a) passenger groups, (b) disabled people’s organisations, (c) rail industry staff and (d) the wider public; what feedback was received; and what assessment she has made of the accessibility of the proposed branding, including colour contrast, legibility and ease of comprehension for passengers with additional needs.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The railway today features a huge variety of conflicting signage standards, driven by the wasteful approach in of rebranding operators each time the franchise changed – creating a fragmented and confusing system for passengers, and in some cases not reaching the accessibility standards we would expect.
Great British Railways (GBR) will unify the system for the passenger, ensuring that accessibility is maintained consistently throughout the railway network. In developing the branding, we have ensured that it has followed all relevant legal requirements and guidance, including compliance with relevant accessibility legislation. Audience testing has taken place, including people with a range of accessibility needs.
We are confident that the testing with the public, passengers, and those with disabilities has led to a design that provides ease of comprehension for all passengers. The GBR brand unveiled on the 9 December 2025 is the final approved design.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for implementing the Great British Rail branding across (a) rolling stock, (b) stations, (c) staff uniforms and (d) digital platforms; what estimate she has made of the cost of each element; what the cost will be of removing or replacing existing train operating company branding; what assessment she has made of the potential waste or environmental impact arising from that process; and what steps she is taking to minimise unnecessary expenditure.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is working to develop a rollout plan for the GBR branding, with a focus on maximising opportunities to ensure value for money, such as repainting trains when they were due to be repainted by their leasing companies.
The brand rollout will be gradual, beginning from this spring at a number of publicly owned operators to demonstrate our commitment to change and to start the journey of simplifying the railway for the public.
To ensure value for money, and consider the environmental impact of a brand change, much of the rollout will be driven by routine asset maintenance cycles – changing the branding as assets are being maintained or replaced. This includes rolling stock, station assets, and uniforms.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effect of introducing the Great British Rail branding on existing regional identities and heritage railway liveries; whether she plans to permit local or heritage-specific variations within the national brand; and what plans she has to evaluate the impact of the new branding on public confidence, passenger satisfaction and perceptions of value for money.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In developing the new brand for Great British Railways (GBR), the Secretary of State has carefully considered how to preserve Britain’s iconic railway history. With that in mind, many heritage names like Great Western Railway and London North Eastern Railway will be preserved as regional identifiers within one overarching national brand, which in turn offers passengers consistency and clarity. Heritage stations will also preserve their heritage look and feel.
The Department has considered the impact of the new branding on public confidence, passenger satisfaction and perceptions of value for money. The brand has been developed in-house to provide value for money and undergone audience testing. We want to rebuild a railway the country can be proud of and rely on. The brand incorporates the iconic double arrow and the colours of the Union Jack.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of rail freight capacity through the West Midlands corridor.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The West Midlands Combined Authority have commissioned economists to conduct an independent prioritisation exercise called the ‘Rosewell Review’ which will produce a portfolio-level prospectus setting out major investment opportunities that will support delivery of the West Midlands Growth Plan, Local Transport Plan and wider strategic priorities. The outputs of this are expected in January 2026.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of funding for buses in the Autumn Budget 2025 on bus routes serving Aldridge-Brownhills constituency; and whether her Department plans to issue guidance to Combined Authorities on protecting services in semi-rural areas of the West Midlands.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in the Spending Review, confirming over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers.
This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead to improve services for local communities. West Midlands Combined Authority has been allocated £120 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29. LABG allocations have been calculated using a fair and transparent approach that considers population size, levels of deprivation, the extent of existing bus services and rurality.
The Government knows that bus services can be a lifeline for many, including in semi-rural areas. The Department for Transport’s guidance to local transport authorities and bus operators on developing their Bus Service Improvement Plans makes clear that these should consider how to improve services across the full Local Transport Authority area. In the case of West Midlands Combined Authority, this includes Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.
The Government has also introduced the Bus Services Act 2025 which puts passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of local bus services by putting the power back in the hands of local leaders right across England. The Act includes a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the planned timeline is for the full transition of responsibilities from Network Rail to Great British Railways as set out in the Railways Bill.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Network Rail and its functions will become a foundational part of Great British Railways (GBR) as it is stood up, which we are aiming to be around 12 months after the Railways Bill receives Royal Assent.
The detailed GBR design process is underway, considering how all functions in Network Rail, DfT Operator, publicly-owned train operating companies (TOC) and parts of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) should transfer to GBR.