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Written Question
East Midlands Railway: Standards
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of East Midlands Railways trains from (a) Peterborough to Spalding and (b) Spalding to Peterborough were (i) cancelled and (ii) delayed by more than 30 minutes in 2023.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Following a thorough search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the specific information you requested is not held by this Department.

The Office of Rail and Road publish statistics on passenger rail punctuality and reliability broken down by Train Operating Company. However, these statistics are not available for specific train services.


Written Question
Railways: Midlands
Thursday 25th January 2024

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 25 paragraph G of the policy paper entitled Network North, published on 4 October 2023, whether he plans for Waverley to be a new railway station on the existing line between Sheffield and Worksop; and whether the reference to Waverley will include the Barrow Hill railway line between Sheffield and Chesterfield hat was listed in his Department's news story entitled Moving Ahead to Reopen Railway Lines and Stations, published June 2022.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The new Waverley station will be located on the existing Sheffield to Worksop line, between Darnall and Woodhouse stations. This station project will be developed separately from the wider Barrow Hill line reopening project. Should timetabling on the route permit, the new Barrow Hill service will call at Waverley to enable a higher frequency, all-day service.


Written Question
Railways: Midlands
Tuesday 23rd January 2024

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 25 of the policy paper entitled Network North, published on 4 October 2023, whether the proposed Midlands Rail hub has entered the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline; what the project’s Project Acceleration in a Controlled Environment stage is; when approval was granted to enter that stage; and whether entry to the next stage will be granted.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Government received a business case for MRH’s "West and Central" scope (for improved services between Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, and Hereford/Worcester) from Network Rail in November 2022. We are assessing the case for moving to the next stage through the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, which would involve preparing detailed designs and working towards a future decision to deliver the scheme. We hope to be able to confirm next steps very soon.

In progressing MRH’s "Eastern" scope (for improved services between Birmingham and the East Midlands), in addition to considering the business case being prepared by Network Rail, we will also need to now take stock of the Network North plans and how the scheme can best optimise transport links throughout the region.


Written Question
Railways: Midlands
Monday 22nd January 2024

Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the (a) final cost and (b) completion date of the Midlands Rail hub.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Network North increased the funding of Midlands Rail Hub to £1.75bn and committed to deliver the scheme in full.

MRH is being developed for delivery in two phases. The first phase, improved services between Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff and Worcester, is currently anticipated to be operational in the early 2030s. The second phase, improved services between Birmingham and the East Midlands, is currently anticipated to be operational from the mid to late 2030s.


Written Question
Railways: Solihull
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with rail service providers on tackling anti-social behaviour on railway services in Solihull constituency.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Government takes anti-social behaviour (ASB) very seriously and published its ASB Action Plan in March 2023.

The British Transport Police (BTP) recorded 19 offences between April and December 23 in Solihull, made up of cycle theft, public order offences and theft of personal property. This figure (19) was the same for the same time frame last year.

BTP have worked with Chiltern Railways to get officers CCTV access remotely covering Solihull from Birmingham Moor Street.

Officers have attended Solihull College and delivered an educational input as well as advertising BTP and the recruitment process.

Plans are in place to install a knife bin in the carpark at Solihull Station after consultation with BTP, West Midlands Police and the local Policing and Crime Commissioner.


Written Question
West Midlands Trains: Rolling Stock
Monday 8th January 2024

Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2023 to Question 4396 on West Midlands Trains: Rolling Stock, how much funding his Department plans to provide through the West Midlands Trains National Rail Contract for depot and stabling facilities for the Class 730 train fleet.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Department continues to work closely with West Midlands Trains on new and additional depot and stabling facilities for the Class 730 train fleet. As these projects are live and the size of the final programme is still being determined, the costs are not yet known, and funding options continue to be developed and should be finalised in 2024.

Overall, however, this will be a major investment in the region’s railways.


Written Question
Castle Line: Standards
Wednesday 20th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussion they are having with East Midlands Railways about restoring the pre-pandemic levels of service between Nottingham and Lincoln.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport is working closely with East Midlands Railway to reintroduce services which were removed in June 2021.

In May, six weekday services and eight Saturday services between Leicester and Lincoln via Nottingham were reinstated.


Written Question
Railways: Midlands and North of England
Wednesday 6th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 22 November (HL278), whether the Prime Minister's commitment to deliver new rail schemes "far more quickly" than the scrapped Manchester leg of HS2, as set out in their Network North published in October (CP 946), applies to the lines from (1) Burton to Leicester, and (2) Stoke to Leek.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Under the Network North announcement, the Government has committed to delivering both schemes, both of which could be delivered quicker than Phase 2b of HS2 which was due to complete in 2041.


Written Question
Railways: Midlands and North of England
Wednesday 29th November 2023

Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which projects in the north and midlands will receive funds reallocated from the cancellation of Phase 2 of the HS2 project.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

You can see a full list of projects here: Find out about every new transport project in your region - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

All Network North schemes will be subject to the development and approval of business cases and will undergo formal governance in line with relevant fiscal and legal duties.


Written Question
Railways: North of England and Midlands
Wednesday 22nd November 2023

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to paragraph 63 in the Department of Transport's document Network North published in October (CP 946), what is (1) the estimated cost, and (2) the estimated completion date, for the lines from (a) Burton to Leicester, and (b) Stoke to Leek.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Following the Network North announcement, the Department for Transport is in the early stages of planning next steps, including delivery timelines, for individual schemes and is working closely with Network Rail and other delivery partners to develop and deliver on Government priorities. Further information will be set out in due course.