Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the announcement of funding for the East Coast Digital Programme, what is the (1) timescale for completion, and (2) cost analysis, of that project.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Work has already started on the programme following an initial investment of £350m at the OBC stage in 2020. This has been primarily used to design and retrofit digital technology onto rolling stock. Infrastructure work has also commenced on the Northern City Line a branch of the ECML running from Moorgate to Finsbury Park which is acting as a test bed for the rest of the line. This first area will have signals away and entry into service in the mid-2020s. Following the further investment announced by the government of £950m for the programme, infrastructure works, business change activities for operators as well as fitment of this technology to locomotives will accelerate. Final signals away for the rest of the mainline covered by this investment is in the early 2030s.
In developing the business case for the programme, cost estimates were developed bottom-up, using pricing information supplied by industry partners. These estimates were then scrutinised by Network Rail using the 3 Lines of Defence approach, which includes independent analysis. The result of this analysis shows that over a 60-year appraisal period the programme will deliver “high value-for-money” over its lifetime.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that a safe level of clearance above overhead line equipment can be combined with maximum flexibility to enable infrastructure development near to electrified railway lines, such as on the York Central site.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The department prioritises passenger and public safety, and also welcomes and supports development alongside the rail network.
Network Rail works closely with third parties across the country to support the delivery of their plans for growth alongside the railway. There are processes in place so developers can share their plans early, allowing solutions to be agreed that maximise local community benefit without compromising railway safety.
Network Rail and Homes England are working in partnership on development of the York Central site, North West of York station.
A proposed new bridge over the East Coast Main Line linking the site with an existing road at Water End is a key enabler for the development. Network Rail is supporting York Central appointed designers to find the optimal viable engineering solution for the new bridge. The aim is to deliver a bridge that provides safe clearance from railway overhead line equipment, while also meeting York Central project commitments on time, cost and planning consent.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been levied in fixed track access charges for (a) all train operators and (b) each train operator for each financial year from 2016-17 to 2021-22.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The below table shows the amount levied in fixed track access charges for (a) all train operators and (b) each train operator for each financial year from 2016-17 to 2021-22.
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£m, cash prices |
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Franchised operator | 16/17 | 17/18 | 18/19 | 19/20 | 20/21 | 21/22 (1) |
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Arriva Trains Wales | 15.3 | 18.6 | 24.0 |
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Transport for Wales |
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| 4.5 | 32.9 |
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Keolis Amey Wales |
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| 15.0 | 33.6 | 24.8 |
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c2c | 4.1 | 4.9 | 9.8 | 15.5 | 16.7 | 16.0 |
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Chiltern | 22.1 | 22.0 | 37.6 | 33.2 | 33.5 | 35.1 |
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Cross Country | 16.5 | 22.4 | 46.2 | 49.7 | 45.9 | 45.5 |
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Virgin East Coast | 22.4 | 27.2 | 18.1 |
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London North Eastern Railway |
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| 40.6 | 50.4 | 45.7 | 55.6 |
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East Midlands | 12.2 | 15.0 | 33.5 | 18.2 |
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East Midlands Railway |
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| 29.1 | 42.5 | 39.7 |
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Govia Thameslink Railway | 31.9 | 39.2 | 85.4 | 149.0 | 155.0 | 136.7 |
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First Great Western | 24.7 | 31.7 | 67.0 | 83.2 | 78.3 | 77.6 |
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Greater Anglia | 9.8 |
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Abelio East Anglia | 8.4 | 22.2 | 47.2 | 45.3 | 55.8 | 52.2 |
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London Midland | 14.2 | 10.9 |
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West Midlands Trains |
| 4.9 | 33.6 | 46.9 | 46.6 | 52.8 |
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London Overground | 2.6 |
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Arriva Rail London | 1.6 | 5.2 | 11.0 | 19.6 | 21.7 | 22.3 |
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Merseyrail | 2.6 | 3.1 | 6.6 | 17.7 | 16.2 | 17.6 |
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MTR Crossrail | 2.0 | 2.4 | 31.1 | 69.9 | 79.9 | 79.6 |
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Arriva Rail North | 20.2 | 25.8 | 56.1 | 73.8 |
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Northern Trains |
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| 13.4 | 83.2 | 85.1 |
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Scotrail | 89.2 | 149.7 | 243.5 | 263.1 | 276.2 | 287.7 |
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Serco Sleeper | 4.2 | 7.0 | 11.0 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.5 |
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London & South Eastern Railway | 19.1 | 23.7 | 49.1 | 69.4 | 41.3 |
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Southeastern |
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| 35.4 | 70.5 |
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South West Trains | 20.9 | 9.4 |
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South Western Railway | 15.5 | 53.9 | 72.3 | 78.6 | 84.4 |
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Transpennine | 10.4 | 12.7 | 27.4 | 35.5 | 32.1 | 29.1 |
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Virgin West Coast | 35.8 | 43.0 | 91.1 | 42.1 |
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Avanti West Coast | 18.7 | 61.1 | 68.0 |
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Total | 390.2 | 516.5 | 1,038.8 | 1,253.6 | 1,279.3 | 1,293.0 |
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Accounting adjustments (2) | 1.8 | 2.5 | (0.8) | 0.4 | (0.3) | (0.0) |
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Total disclosed in Regulatory Financial Statements | 392.0 | 519.0 | 1,038.0 | 1,254.0 | 1,279.0 | 1,293.0 |
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Notes | |||||||||
(1) 21/22 figures have yet to be published and are subject to year end assurance and audit | |||||||||
(2) Accounting adjustments relate to some centrally managed items not attributable to an individual operator | |||||||||
Changes in franchises | |||||||||
During 2018/19 responsibility for the London North East rail franchise transferred from Virgin East Coast to London North Eastern Railway. | |||||||||
During 2018/19, London North Eastern Railway was created to operate the London North East rail franchise whilst the government assessed franchising options for this route. Therefore, income is recognised for the first time against this operator in that year | |||||||||
Abelio East Anglia replaced Greater Anglia as the franchise operator during 2016/17 which accounts for the movements between 2015/16 and 2016/17 for these two operators. | |||||||||
In 2016/17, Arriva Rail London assumed responsibility for the London overground concession previously run by London Overground Rail Operations. Therefore, there is a significant decrease in the revenue reported from London Overground in 2016/17 compared to 2015/16 with a corresponding increase in Arriva Rail London | |||||||||
In 2017/18, West Midlands Trains replaced London Midland as the franchise operator on the London North West route. This also resulted in a decrease in London Midland income in 2017/18 compared to the previous year. | |||||||||
In 2017/18, South Western Railway replaced South West Trains as the principle operator in the Wessex route. Consequently, the income earned by the latter was shown for the first time in 2017/18, whilst the former has a noticeable year-on-year decrease in their turnover in the above table in those years | |||||||||
Arriva Trains Wales – this franchise ended in October 2018. Responsibility for operations in this area moved to Keolis Amey Wales, which means that Arriva Trains Wales has a reduction in income in 2018/19 compared to 2017/18 | |||||||||
Keolis Amey Wales – this franchise commenced in October 2018, so reported income for the first time in 2018/19 | |||||||||
During 2019/20 Avanti West Coast replaced Virgin West Coast as the franchisee for the West Coast Main Line. As a result, Virgin West Coast income decreases in 2019/20 and Avanti West Coast reports income for the first time | |||||||||
During 2019/20 East Midlands Railway replaced East Midlands as the franchisee for the east midlands line. As a result, East Midlands income decreases in 2019/20 and East Midlands Railway reports income for the first time | |||||||||
During 2020/21 Transport for Wales replaced Keolis Amey Wales as the franchisee for Wales. As a result, Keolis Amey Wales income decreases in 2020/21 and Transport for Wales reports income for the first time | |||||||||
During 2019/2020 Northern Trains replaced Arriva Rail North as the franchisee for Northern. As a result, Arriva Rail North income decreases in 2019/20 and Northern Trains reports income for the first time | |||||||||
During 2020/21 Southeastern replaced London & South East Railway as the franchisee for South East. As a result, London & South East Railways income decreases in 2020/21 and Southeastern reports income for the first time | |||||||||
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has with the Scottish Government on the East Coast Main Line following the publication of the Union Connectivity Review.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Union Connectivity Review (UCR) was published on 26 November 2021. The UK Government is grateful to Sir Peter Hendy for his work and is considering his recommendations carefully, to identify the solutions that work best for the people of the UK.
Baroness Vere discussed the UCR recommendations with Graeme Dey MSP, the former Scottish Government Transport Minister, and discussions continue at official level. Baroness Vere has invited the Scottish Government Transport Minister, Jenny Gilruth MSP, to discuss the UCR recommendations.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of long distance high speed train services on the East Coast Main Line are delivered by open access operators as of 8 March 2022; and if he will publish details of (a) those services and (b) their capacity as a proportion of total capacity on the East Coast Main Line.
Answered by Wendy Morton
On 8 March 2022, open access operators operated 20 per cent of all long distance high speed services from London to the north of England and Scotland using the East Coast Mainline. The Department does not keep records of the amount of capacity provided by open access operators; details of open access services are published in the National Rail timetable and on the operators’ own websites.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how his Department is working with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to ensure that improvements to rail connectivity between the North of England and London delivers economic prosperity for local communities.
Answered by Wendy Morton
LNER services on the East Coast Main line (ECML) connect London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland. These services help to support levelling-up and provide a key avenue of Union connectivity.
As a result, the Department is investing £1.2 billion in a programme of infrastructure enhancements for the ECML. These upgrades are vital to improve the service on the railway for tens of thousands of passengers who travel on the route. Alongside the brand-new Azuma trains, this will help to deliver journey time, reliability and capacity improvements. These upgrades have already enabled direct LNER services from London King’s Cross to Middlesbrough to commence in December 2021.
The review of the future timetable is considering the implementation of additional services to Bradford, Middlesbrough, Cleethorpes and Huddersfield, as well as aiming to deliver more services and faster journey times to Leeds and Edinburgh, improving connectivity between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland.
Additionally, following publication of the Integrated Rail Plan in November 2021, the Department will ask Network Rail to take forward interventions on the East Coast Main Line to deliver improved journeys to Leeds and the North East. This will consider upgrades to allow higher speeds, including up to 140mph on some sections, longer trains and measures to tackle bottlenecks that limit speed and capacity.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Levelling Up in the United Kingdom White Paper, what steps his Department is taking to improve rail connectivity for passengers travelling between the North of England and London.
Answered by Wendy Morton
LNER services on the East Coast Main line (ECML) connect London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland. These services help to support levelling-up and provide a key avenue of Union connectivity.
As a result, the Department is investing £1.2 billion in a programme of infrastructure enhancements for the ECML. These upgrades are vital to improve the service on the railway for tens of thousands of passengers who travel on the route. Alongside the brand-new Azuma trains, this will help to deliver journey time, reliability and capacity improvements. These upgrades have already enabled direct LNER services from London King’s Cross to Middlesbrough to commence in December 2021.
The review of the future timetable is considering the implementation of additional services to Bradford, Middlesbrough, Cleethorpes and Huddersfield, as well as aiming to deliver more services and faster journey times to Leeds and Edinburgh, improving connectivity between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland.
Additionally, following publication of the Integrated Rail Plan in November 2021, the Department will ask Network Rail to take forward interventions on the East Coast Main Line to deliver improved journeys to Leeds and the North East. This will consider upgrades to allow higher speeds, including up to 140mph on some sections, longer trains and measures to tackle bottlenecks that limit speed and capacity.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what investment he plans to make in the east coast main line to (a) improve capacity and (b) enable more frequent services between the North of England and London.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The government published the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands (IRP) in November 2021, which outlined plans for the delivery and phasing of major rail investment in the North and Midlands over the coming decades. The IRP confirmed aspirations to upgrade and improve line speeds on the ECML, and the Department will ask Network Rail to take forward interventions on the route to deliver improved journeys to Leeds and the North East.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to implement the recommendations of the Union Connectivity Review on the East Coast Main Line.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Union Connectivity Review was published on 26 November 2021. The UK Government is grateful to Sir Peter Hendy for his work and will consider his recommendations carefully, working collaboratively with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to identify the solutions that work best for the people of the UK. We intend to respond formally to the Union Connectivity Review as swiftly as possible.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Integrated Rail Plan on rail journey times to Scotland.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The core pipeline set out in the Integrated Rail Plan, which includes completing HS2 Phases One and 2a and completing HS2 Phase 2b from Crewe to Manchester, including the link to the West Coast Main Line, will help reduce journey times between England and Scotland. Birmingham and London to Glasgow and Edinburgh could be cut by between 40 and 50 minutes compared to today. In addition, the package of upgrades to the East Coast Main Line will separately improve journey times for services to Edinburgh from London King’s Cross. Journey times could be cut by 25 minutes compared to today depending on stopping patterns. The recent Union Connectivity Review also considered the reduction of rail journey times to Scotland.