Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department expected the Class 701 Arterio trains to be introduced on the Waterloo–Reading line at the time of procurement.

South Western Railway entered into the current rolling stock lease contracts in 2017, with the new Class 701 fleet due to be delivered 2019-2021. The Class 701 introduction has been significantly delayed and I am disappointed with how long it has taken.