Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of irregular rail timetables on (a) employment and (b) education access in Greater Manchester.

The department requires its operators to plan services and rail timetables that are designed to respond to expected passenger demand, which includes understanding local demand factors such as access to employment and education. These timetables should be resilient and provide value for money for the taxpayer. Timetables are kept under review and, where appropriate, adjusted to reflect fluctuations in demand.