Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the withdrawal of Class 43 HST trains from service in the South West does not affect scheduled services.

The Department is committed to maintaining a reliable timetable in the South West as the High Speed Train (HST) fleet, including Class 43 power cars, is withdrawn. The remaining three units are being withdrawn at the end of the Summer 2025 timetable and there are plans in place to replace them with existing fleet including the Class 175s when they re-enter passenger services.