Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with Network Rail on measures to reduce disruption caused by soil moisture deficit on railway lines serving West Dorset.

Ministers and officials engage regularly with Southwestern Railway and Network Rail on the performance and resilience of the rail network, including the impacts of extreme weather. Following recent soil moisture deficit conditions affecting the West of England Line, Southwestern Railway and Network Rail have implemented a range of measures to improve resilience, including monitoring more than 30 at-risk sites, installing 5,500 tonnes of new ballast, carrying out vegetation management, enhanced track monitoring and inspection programmes, as well as developing a long-term plan to modernise the West of England line.