Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of renewing the contract with Avanti West Coast on operational performance on that line.

Avanti West Coast has put in place a recovery plan which has already seen positive results, with more trains running for passengers and fewer Avanti West Coast caused cancellations. Weekday services have risen from 180 to 264 trains per day, the highest level in over two years. Cancellation rates have fallen from around 25% to 4.2%, the lowest level in 12 months. In addition, over 100 additional drivers have been recruited to reduce reliance on union-controlled overtime working.

Avanti West Coast is expected to continue to adhere to the plan and drive further improvement following the decision to grant a short-term contract extension. Officials will continue to use all contractual levers to drive the best outcomes for passengers. Performance will be closely monitored ahead of any decision on the longer-term operation of the contract.