Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the contribution of York's rail cluster in digital and advance rail to the rail industry in the UK.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to the future of advanced and digital rail. This is evidenced by our recent commitments to the future of rail, including the Integrated Rail Plan, a £96 billion programme to transform rail services in the North and Midlands.
York remains an important centre of railway expertise, through its long history of rail engineering and as the home to the National Railway Museum, Network Rail’s Eastern Route and the rail operator, LNER. York is also home to the largest Rail Operating Centre in the country and will have operational oversight of the pioneering East Coast Main Line upgrade. I am confident that York will continue to play a key role in helping to shape the railway of the future, through its strong heritage and through its considerable expertise in digital, data and automation.
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many passengers travelled on the (a) East and (b) West Coast Main Lines in (i) first and (ii) standard class in (A) 2019 and (B) 2022.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Office for Road and Rail (ORR) are responsible for collecting and publishing national statistics on rail passenger journeys. The ORR do not disaggregate between first and standard class for this dataset.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 14 of the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands published on 18 November 2021, what estimate his Department has made of the number of services per day from London to (a) York and Darlington that will achieve journey savings of 15 minutes, (b) the North East and Edinburgh that will achieve journey savings of 25 minutes and (c) Leeds that will achieve journey savings of 20 minutes.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Work undertaken by Mott Macdonald to inform the Integrated Rail Plan, which was published on 24 January 2022, set out a range of time savings for East Coast Main Line destinations based on an assumed timetable structure. Network Rail is now leading more detailed development work.
As previously confirmed in the response to question 129879, and subsequently question 136617, detailed timetabling work for the Integrated Rail Plan will be conducted at a later stage of project development. Once developed, an updated East Coast Main Line timetable specification would be subject to public consultation.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has been made on the recommendations of the Union Connectivity Review relating to the upgrade and improvement of the East Coast Main Line and A1.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government is considering the recommendation in Lord Peter Hendy's independent Union Connectivity Review for an assessment of the East Coast road and rail transport corridor alongside existing projects and the major upgrade of the East Coast Main Line included in the Integrated Rail Plan. Ministers and officials maintain regular dialogue with the Scottish Government on a wide range of issues including Lord Hendy’s recommendations and the upgrade of the East Coast Main Line.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) the Scottish Government or (b) Scottish agencies on the upgrade of the A1 Northumberland into Scotland.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government is considering the recommendation in Lord Peter Hendy's independent Union Connectivity Review for an assessment of the East Coast road and rail transport corridor alongside existing projects and the major upgrade of the East Coast Main Line included in the Integrated Rail Plan. Ministers and officials maintain regular dialogue with the Scottish Government on a wide range of issues including Lord Hendy’s recommendations and the upgrade of the East Coast Main Line.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Scottish Government and (b) its agencies on the upgrade of the East Coast Main Line.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government is considering the recommendation in Lord Peter Hendy's independent Union Connectivity Review for an assessment of the East Coast road and rail transport corridor alongside existing projects and the major upgrade of the East Coast Main Line included in the Integrated Rail Plan. Ministers and officials maintain regular dialogue with the Scottish Government on a wide range of issues including Lord Hendy’s recommendations and the upgrade of the East Coast Main Line.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential economic impact of the east and west coast mainline closures on 18 and 19 February 2023 on (a) Scotland and (b) the UK.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail aims to minimise the impact on passenger and freight services and in this case is able to maintain an Anglo-Scot route despite the parallel East Coast Mainline and West Coast Mainline closures. Rail passengers can still travel, albeit with extended journey times and the need to change, and freight volumes are generally lower on Saturdays than on weekdays and very low on Sundays. Network Rail considered moving the timing of one of the pieces of work, but assessed that this would cause more disruption for passengers and freight customers.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of East and West Coast Mainline closures on 18 and 19 February on freight moved by rail.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail aims to minimise the impact on passenger and freight services and in this case is able to maintain an Anglo-Scot route despite the parallel East Coast Mainline and West Coast Mainline closures. Rail passengers can still travel, albeit with extended journey times and the need to change, and freight volumes are generally lower on Saturdays than on weekdays and very low on Sundays. Network Rail considered moving the timing of one of the pieces of work, but assessed that this would cause more disruption for passengers and freight customers.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to hold discussions with Network Rail on the potential merits of ensuring that maintenance closures on the east and west coast mainlines are scheduled on different dates.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail is committed to ensuring that at least one cross-border route is available for passenger and freight services at all times other than in unforeseen or exceptional circumstances. Where that is not possible, Network Rail sets out what steps are being taken to minimise disruption for passengers and freight services.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 26 January 2023 to Question 129879 on Railways: Midlands and North of England, what assessment the Department has made of the potential impact on (a) services and (b) passengers at intermediate stations on the East Coast Mainline of (a) no longer being served and (b) receiving a reduced service as a result of the changes.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As previously confirmed in the response to question 129879, detailed timetabling work for the Integrated Rail Plan will be conducted at a later stage of project development. Once developed, an updated East Coast Main Line timetable specification would be subject to public consultation.