Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 118257 and with reference to page 34, paragraph 17 of paper South East Rail Franchise Stakeholder Briefing Document: Shaping the Future, if he will publish the supporting evidence that delays caused to Southeast Rail Services are as a result of trains changing lines at crossovers north of Lewisham station; and if he will make a statement.

Delays to train services on the South Eastern Franchise are grouped into two categories:

• Knock-on delays from one train to another; and
• All other delays.

On the South Eastern Franchise suburban network 77% of all delays at peak times between the 1^st of April 2015 and the 31^st of March 2016 were caused by knock-on delays from one train to another. Of these delays, 9.3% are recorded as having occurred at Lewisham station, or at the crossovers in the immediate vicinity. Only North Kent Junction, between New Cross and London Bridge, recorded higher delays on the peak suburban services outside the London termini.