Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase mobile telephone coverage alongside inter-city rail networks throughout the South West to improve on-board connectivity.

In December 2016 my Department introduced a requirement that future rail franchises have better mobile connectivity for passengers. This significantly increases the number of places along the railway line where there is signal. There are three railway franchises in the South West. For Great Western and Cross Country Franchises these requirements will come into effect in 2019 and must be implemented no later than 2022. The procurement of the South Western Franchise started prior to the requirement in December 2016, but they have agreed to voluntarily adopt this approach.

My Department is working closely with the Department of Digital, Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) to see what further improvements can be made to mobile connectivity on trains.