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 rail operators changing timetables without formal public consultation on rail passengers.

As the pandemic has changed travel habits, operators have had to rapidly reassess their services to provide timetables that meet new passenger travel patterns, are fit for the future, and carefully balance cost, capacity and performance.   This has constrained the timescales to conduct traditional consultations; however train operators have been working closely with local markets and stakeholders, including passenger groups, Members of Parliament, and local and mayoral authorities, to find the best solution to the needs of the local community and run reliable services within existing operational constraints.

The new timetables are demand-led and built with flexibility in mind, so if passenger numbers increase as we continue to recover from the pandemic, we can look to accommodate additional services. Where operators have modified their timetables, the changes will be kept under review and, where appropriate, adjusted to reflect fluctuations in demand.