Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) frequency and (b) reliability of train services on the West Coast Main Line following the decision to award a contract extension to Avanti West Coast.

The Department has been working with Avanti West Coast to overcome operational issues. Agreed steps include additional drivers entering service, extra trains on its key routes, and extended booking options. The contract extension will provide an opportunity to implement these steps.