Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of industrial action by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers on rail services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham.

The industry is taking all possible steps to ensure that as much of the railway as possible operates during periods of industrial action and that passengers are kept fully informed of the impact of disruption. Service levels during recent periods of industrial action varied by region. To ensure services run safely and reliably, Network Rail and train operating companies implement a Key Route Strategy focusing limited resources on those routes with the busiest passenger and freight traffic and on strike days, this means around 20 per cent of passenger services run, with a focus on protecting critical passenger and freight flows. Unfortunately, this means that on RMT strike days, generally there are no Transport for Wales, West Midlands Trains or Avanti West Coast services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham. My officials and I remain committed to playing our part in bringing a swift resolution to the industrial disputes.