| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/2363 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 12th December 2006 Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of the recent increase in rail fares by train operators; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: Regulated fares, those most used by commuters plus long distance saver return fares are limited to an average increase of 1 per cent. more than inflation. The South Eastern franchise fares regulation is set at inflation +3 per cent. Other fares are unregulated and may be set at the operators Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/2365 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 12th December 2006 Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how his Department estimates for planning purposes the number of passengers using the East Coast main line GNER services. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/2388 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 13th December 2006 Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response he has made to the findings of the National Rail Review for Quarter Two regarding the condition and availability of facilities and services at small and medium-sized rail stations. Mr. Tom Harris: The Department has noted the comments made in the Review. The Department has initiated a working group with Network Rail, the Association of Train Operating Companies and Passenger Focus to use passenger research to provide guidance to the industry stakeholders on the range of facilities that passengers expect at stations. Network Rail is developing a prioritised delivery plan for improvements to local stations. To expedite this, operators will be encouraged to sign up to the Office of Rail Regulation Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/2412 Written by Lee on Thursday, 14th December 2006 Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many community rail line designations have been made. Mr. Tom Harris: 12 lines have been designated. Additionally, three community rail services have also been designated. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how his Department estimates for planning purposes the number of passengers using the East Coast main line GNER services. Mr. Tom Harris: The Franchise Agreement allows us to request passenger counts from the franchise operator. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many seats there are in a GNER Mallard standard class carriage. Mr. Tom Harris: The seating capacity in a GNER Mallard standard coach is as follows: Coaches B, C, D, E, have 76 seats Coach G has 70 seats (including four tip-up seats) Coach H has 30 seats (this coach includes the buffet and kitchen) Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what tests were applied in judging the viability of the Fareham-Gosport-Portsmouth Light Rapid Transit scheme; and by what measures the scheme fell short of each such test. Mr. Tom Harris: This scheme was appraised in accordance with our published guidance on appraising public transport schemes. Value for Money is one of a range of factors Ministers consider when taking decisions. Funding approval was subsequently revoked in July 2004 because costs had escalated considerably. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the five most overcrowded train services were outside London in the last 12 months. Mr. Tom Harris: Passengers in Excess of Capacity (PIXC) only applies to weekday commuter trains arriving in London between 07:00 and 09:59 and those departing between 16:00 and 18:59. The PIXC measure does not apply to other cities in the UK and so the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of railway track have been replaced in each of the last ten years. Mr. Tom Harris: This is an operational matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/2414 Written by Lee on Thursday, 14th December 2006 Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has for a direct rail link between Shropshire and London; and if he will make a statement. Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the five stages are which apply to the construction of a new piece of railway line; what stage the Kemble to Swindon line has reached; and what the timetable is for completion of that line. Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the conversion of main and branch line track to light passenger railway use in loss-making areas; and if he will make a statement. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/2440 Written by Lee on Friday, 15th December 2006 Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many train services were cancelled mid-journey because they were overcrowded in the last 12 months. Mr. Tom Harris: The information requested is of an operational nature, and is not held by the Department. When it becomes necessary to cancel a train during its journey, it is understood the recorded cause would relate to the immediate operational reason, rather than to any crowding which may have contributed. John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was paid to companies to act as an operator of the last resort on behalf of (a) the Strategic Rail Authority and (b) his Department in each of the last five years; how this fee package was structured; what tender process was used to appoint such companies; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: The Department and previously the Strategic Rail Authority have had a contract with one company Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/2497 Written by Lee on Monday, 18th December 2006 Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will support the establishment of a rail service between Peterborough and Cambridge; and if he will make a statement. Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding will be available in 2007-08 to support the amelioration of traffic congestion for growth areas within the Sustainable Communities Plan; and if he will make a statement. Ironically , its Oral Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport tommorrow , including the following : Julie Morgan (Cardiff North): If he will take steps to ensure that there is a frequent railway service from all parts of the UK. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/2539 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 19th December 2006 Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will support the establishment of a rail service between Peterborough and Cambridge; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: The direct hourly train service between Peterborough and Cambridge will continueto be provided by Central Trains, as part of its Birmingham-Stansted airport service, until the endof the Central franchise in November 2007. The continuation of this service is a mandatory requirement in the new Cross Country franchise, due to commence on 11 November 2007. Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for a direct rail link between Shropshire and London; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport has no plans to add a direct rail service between Shropshire and London to any rail franchise. However an open access operator, The Wrexham, Shropshire and Marylebone Railway Company (WSMR) has applied to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) for track access rights for a new service between Wrexham and London Marylebone via Shrewsbury, which they hope to introduce in 2007. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many unmanned railway stations there are. Mr. Tom Harris: According to the records of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) 1,187 stations are unmanned Monday to Saturday and 1,649 on Sundays. Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements are in place to monitor the performance against targets of train operating companies with regard to their management of over-crowding on (a) all weekend services and (b) weekend (i) intercity and (ii) cross-country services. Mr. Tom Harris: Franchise agreements allow the Department for Transport to monitor actual passenger demand. The franchise agreements require the franchise operator to draw up plans that demonstrate how they will allocate rolling stock to meet passenger demand and includes mechanisms which penalise the train operator if they fail to deliver the capacity stated in the plan. Franchise agreements also include an obligation to plan the timetable to ensure, so far as possible, that overcrowding is not unduly concentrated on any particular route or passenger service. Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to dissuade train operating companies from rescheduling timetables so as to reduce calls by peak-time commuter trains at rural or non-urban stations; and what assessment he has made of the effect on the volume of road traffic of such changes to timetables. Mr. Tom Harris: The franchise agreements between the Secretary of State for Transport and each franchised train operator specify the number of services the operator is to provide and the stations at which these services are to call. The franchise agreement also specifies peak-time services wherethere is a need to provide journey to work/school opportunities at rural or non-urban stations. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/2550 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 20th December 2006 Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the most overcrowded train was on the East Coast main line in the last 12 months. Mr. Tom Harris: At the time of the most recent passenger census in December 2005, the most heavily loaded train on the East Coast Mainline was the 18.15 from London Kings Cross to Cambridge. Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the five stages are which apply to the construction of a new piece of railway line; what stage the Kemble to Swindon line has reached; and what the timetable is for completion of that line. Mr. Tom Harris: The proposal to redouble the Swindon-Kemble single line is listed in Network Rail Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/2551 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 20th December 2006 A good grilling was handed out at Oral Questions yesterday (link below) including : http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm061219/debtext/61219-0002.htm "Dr. Andrew Murrison (Westbury) (Con): Does the Minister share my concern that on the morning of9 December, Trowbridge station ticket office had to spend more time issuing refunds for GWR train services than it did issuing tickets? Does he agree that that is indicative of the changed timetabling and rolling stock reductions over which he has presided and which have caused cattle-truck chaos across the country, but especially in the south? Mr. Harris: I am unaware of the specific problems affecting the hon. Gentleman Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/2928 Written by Lee on Thursday, 11th January 2007 Answers : Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish (a) the cost benefit analysis and (b) the appraisal summary table taking account of the five objectives outlined in the New Approach to Appraisal prepared by his Department prior to (i) the award of the Greater Western franchise, (ii) the award of the South Western Trains franchise, (iii) the specification for the new Cross Country franchise and (iv) recent announcements by the Association of Train Operating Companies of fare increases. Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport (DfT) addresses the five objectives outlined in the New Approach to Transport Appraisal in preparing the specification included in the invitation to tender (ITT) for franchise replacements. The specification is the basis upon which bids are assessed, and the submission of the successful bidder needs to demonstrate that it represents value for money. The business case analysis that supports the development of the franchise specifications is not published, although the rationale behind changes is communicated through stakeholder meetings and stakeholder briefing documents. The decision has been taken to maintain the status quo in relation to fares policy with an average increase of RPI+1 per cent. for regulated fares. It is for individual train operators to set regulated fares within the constraints imposed by regulation, while unregulated fares may be set on a commercial basis. DfT does not appraise the decisions that individual train operators make. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the New Approach to Appraisal is routinely applied when his Department specifies and awards rail franchises. Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport routinely applies recognised appraisal methods in the specifying and awarding of rail franchises that are consistent with the New Approach to Transport Appraisal. Questions : Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods (City of Durham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will undertake not to approve any franchise agreement for the East Coast Main Line which would reduce services to Durham station. Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated to assist in ensuring that the determination of the franchise for South West Trains to Stagecoach is sustainable in the long term; and if he will make a statement. Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost was of supplying 2,900 extra cycling spaces at stations, as referred to on page 132 of his Department's annual report 2006. Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was spent on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link in each of the last five years; and what his estimate is of the likely expenditure in each of the next four years. Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what role his Department played in the recent major reconfiguration of the timetable introduced by First Great Western. Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many complaints he has received in relation to First Great Western's new timetable. Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what powers he has to seek reversals of railway timetable changes that may (a) breach commitments given in the franchise process and (b) be contrary to the interests of passengers. Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much capital spending Network Rail has allocated to each of its mainline stations over the past 10 years; and what its plans are for future such spending in each station. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/2929 Written by Sion Bretton on Thursday, 11th January 2007 No noise from MP in Wiltshire, Bath or Bristol shame. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/2950 Written by Lee on Friday, 12th January 2007 Answers : Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3045 Written by Lee on Monday, 15th January 2007 Questions : Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, why no notice was given of the engineering works which took place around Weybridge on 27th December 2006; whether the works were undertaken as a matter of urgency; what the purpose of the works was; and if he will make a statement. Dr Howard Stoate (Dartford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage train operating companies to install automatic ticket machines in their stations that are of universal design and use the same command sequence; and if he will make a statement. Dr Howard Stoate (Dartford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage train operating companies to adopt a consistent nationwide policy on the issuing of penalty fares to passengers not in possession of a valid ticket. Dr Howard Stoate (Dartford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what agency has responsibility for ensuring that train operating companies comply with the terms of the National Rail Conditions of Carriage. Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many crimes were reported to British Transport Police in (a) England, (b) London, (c) each London borough and (d) each London (i) underground, (ii) mainline and (iii) interchange station in relation to (A) violence against the person, (B) sexual offences, (C) theft of passenger property and (D) robbery in each of the last five years, broken down by gender; and whether the crime was reported by a member of (1) the public and (2) rail staff in each case. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3090 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 16th January 2007 Answers : Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the adequacy of road and rail links to the port of Liverpool. Dr. Ladyman: The existing trunk road access to the port of Liverpool at Seaforth is provided by the A5036. A study undertaken by the Highways Agency has concluded that journey times on the existing A5036 are not reliable and that this position will get progressively worse overtime. The North West Regional Planning Assessment (RPA) for the railway and the Network Rail route utilisation strategies for the North West and Freight assess the current provision and likely future needs for freight on the railways, including the Port of Liverpool. The North West RPA was published in October 2006 and consultation drafts of both route utilisation strategies have been issued. However, even taking into account the potential of rail, the Highways Agency believe that the existing road network would be inadequate to cater for the expected growth of the port. They are now developing options for improving road access to the port. It is envisaged that any scheme identified will be funded from the regional funding allocation. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total level of Network Rail Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3182 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 17th January 2007 Answers : Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on the Channel Tunnel rail link in each of the last five years; and what his estimate is of the likely expenditure in each of the next four years. Mr. Tom Harris: In previous years the following sums have been spent by London and Continental Railways on the construction of sections one and two of the Channel Tunnel rail link (now known as High Speed 1), and the new Eurostar depot at Temple Mills: Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3215 Written by Lee on Thursday, 18th January 2007 Answers : Dr. Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will undertake not to approve any franchise agreement for the East Coast Main Line which would reduce services to Durham station. Mr. Tom Harris: A consultation document was issued on 15 December 2006 setting out the proposed specification for the new franchise. There is no intention to reduce the services to Durham in the new Intercity East Coast franchise. Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost; (2) how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording. Gillian Merron: Of the 6,820 parliamentary questions tabled to the Department for Transport during the 2005-06 session, 2 per cent. were not answered wholly or in part, on grounds of disproportionate cost and the Department was unable to answer two parliamentary questions substantially, before Parliament prorogued. (Unsurprisingly , the last 2 PWQ's mentioned would , I believe , have been of great interest if actually answered - Lee.) Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers he has to seek reversals of railway timetable changes that may (a) breach commitments given in the franchise process and (b) be contrary to the interests of passengers. Mr. Tom Harris: Train operators must operate timetables which are consistent with the service specifications in their franchise agreements and the Secretary of State can take enforcement action to secure compliance if necessary (I feel an e-mail coming on...Lee.) The Secretary of State has no powers to force changes to timetables which are compliant with the service specifications, but does encourage train operators to listen to their passengers and stakeholders and take account of their concerns. Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3239 Written by Lee on Friday, 19th January 2007 Answers : Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many companies have submitted expressions of interest in bidding for the East Coast Mainline rail franchise; and when he expects to announce the identity of the shortlisted bidders. Mr. Tom Harris: Due to commercial sensitivity it is not the DfT policy to provide the number of companies submitting an expression of interest. The expected announcement of who has been shortlisted will be 9 February 2007. Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what role his Department played in the recent major reconfiguration of the timetable introduced by First Great Western. Mr. Tom Harris: The detailed construction of the timetable is a matter for First Great Western working within the framework provided by the Department for Transport Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3310 Written by Lee on Monday, 22nd January 2007 Questions : Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many complaints he received from the public on the late arrival of trains in East Sussex in the last 12 months. Mr James Arbuthnot (North East Hampshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of standing passengers on peak hour trains between Waterloo and (a) Fleet, (b)Winchfield, (c) Hook, (d) Liphook and (e) Bentley stations; and what projections of these figures he has made for each of the next 20 years. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3355 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 23rd January 2007 Answers : Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons fares for rail journeys in north Kent from zone four to zone three are the same as those from zone four to zone two; and for what reasons those fares are different from (a) those published in his press release of 19 October 2006 and (b) those listed for rail journeys only on the National Rail Enquiries website. Mr. Tom Harris: The fares in question are not different, they should be exactly the same as those in the Department Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3416 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 24th January 2007 Answers : Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many applications have been (a) received and (b) granted under the Access for All programme. Mr. Tom Harris: There have been three rounds of bidding for the Access for All Small Schemes funding since its launch on 23 March 2006. Over the first two rounds of bidding 151 applications were received and 119 of them were successful. 150 applications have been received for the third round of bidding, which closed on 24 November, and the successful bids are due to be announced shortly. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what appraisal was made of the (a) environmental and (b) social benefits of each franchise let by his Department in the past two years; and what weighting was given to those appraisals in agreeing the contractual terms of the franchise agreement. Mr. Tom Harris: The social and environmental impacts of franchises let over the last two years by the Strategic Rail Authority and the Department for Transport were assessed in line with the Department Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3470 Written by Lee on Thursday, 25th January 2007 Questions : Anne Snelgrove (South Swindon): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government about the role of the railways in creating sustainable communities; and if he would make a statement. Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he approved or supported in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007 for improving access at Llandaff Station, Cardiff, for people with disabilities. Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consultations have taken place with disabled people on access and facilities for passengers and other users of Llandaff Station, Cardiff. Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what action he plans to take to improve access for disabled people at Llandaff Station, Cardiff. Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many railway stations within the boundaries of the City of Cardiff give wheelchair access for disabled people to both up and down line trains. Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he last discussed access for wheelchair users to railway stations in Wales with the First Minister. Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his estimate is of the change in the price of train fares in the West Midlands over the past three years. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3513 Written by Lee on Friday, 26th January 2007 Answers : The (long) answers to the "City Of York local transport" questions can be found in the link below. http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070125/text/70125w0002.htm#column_1909W Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of standing passengers on peak hour trains between Waterloo and (a) Fleet, (b)Winchfield, (c) Hook, (d) Liphook and (e) Bentley stations; and what projections of these figures he has made for each of the next 20 years. Mr. Tom Harris [holding answer 24 January 2007]: The Department does not hold this information. With regards to future usage, the Network Rail Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) assumed a growth of 20 per cent. over 10 years. The Department in letting the new South Western Franchise asked bidders to develop innovative means to manage the expected increase in capacity. Questions : Mr Jeremy Browne (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many crimes were reported to British Transport Police in (a) England, (b) Avon and Somerset and (c) Taunton in each of the last five years; and whether the crime was reported by a member of (i) the public and (ii) rail staff in each case. Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will estimate the cost of providing free public transport for all school children, broken down by mode of transport. Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to introduce park and ride schemes. Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve rail services between Lancaster and Morecambe. Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, at what stage the application for Government funding to build a parkway station at Elmbridge Court, Gloucestershire, between Gloucester and Cheltenham is; and if he will make a statement. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3599 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 30th January 2007 Answers : Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on levels of services between (a) Preston and London, (b) Lancaster and London and (c) Scotland and Birmingham between when the present Cross County Franchise ends in November 2007 and the new West Coast Enhanced Service starts in December 2008. Mr. Tom Harris: Faster, more regular and more reliable services will be achieved on all of these routes from the commencement of the new timetable in December 2008. Regular services will be maintained from both Preston and Lancaster to London and between Scotland and Birmingham via Lancashire in the period between November 2007 and December 2008 with a similar timetable to the one which operates currently. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent report produced by his Department from the output of the Network Modelling Framework; (2) if he will publish the outputs from the Network Modelling Framework for the last two years. Mr. Tom Harris: The Network Modelling Framework is still under development and will be used to support the high level output specification, which will be published in July. No reports setting out outputs from the Network Modelling Framework have been published by my Department. Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on rail network overcrowding. Mr. Tom Harris: Three parliamentary questions have been tabled in the last three months concerned with crowding. The Secretary of State has received 60 letters concerning crowding in the same period. The Secretary of State has also received some 200 letters since November about First Great Western. Many of these have referred to crowding as well as other issues. Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the zonal system for London overground railways to be introduced. Mr. Tom Harris: Zonal fares for peak single, peak return and off-peak return rail journeys wholly within London were introduced in January 2007. The zones are the same as those used for Underground and Travelcard fares. Zonal fares for rail only season tickets will be introduced from January 2010. Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints he has received from the public on the late arrival of trains in East Sussex in the last 12 months. Mr. Tom Harris: For the three main train operators that provide services in East Sussex, the Department has had no complaints about late arrival of trains in the last 12 months. A number of secondary operators also operate over the East Sussex route. The Department does not keep records of late trains broken down by county areas. Questions : Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, prior to the passing of the statutory provision for concessionary fares, what revenue funding arrangements each public transport authority in the South East, outside London, concluded with (a) Stagecoach, (b) Arriva, (c) Transdev and (d) Firstbus; and if he will make a statement. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3616 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 31st January 2007 Answers : Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he approved or supported in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007 for improving access at Llandaff station, Cardiff, for people with disabilities. Mr. Tom Harris [holding answer 29 January 2007]: The Secretary of State has not been asked to approve directly or support any plans relating to access for disabled people at Llandaff railway station in 2005, 2006 or 2007. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations have taken place with people with disabilities on access and facilities for passengers and other users of Llandaff Station, Cardiff. Mr. Tom Harris [holding answer 29 January 2007]: The Department for Transport does not hold information centrally on all consultations that take place relating to access and facilities at particular railway stations. Ministers and officials consult regularly with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee and other groups on issues affecting disabled people at railway stations. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he plans to take to improve access for people with disabilities at Llandaff Station, Cardiff. Mr. Tom Harris [holding answer 29 January 2007]: On 23 March 2006 the Government launched the Railways for All Strategy which sets out what the rail industry is doing to improve access to Britain's railways, particularly for people with disabilities. Central to the strategy is the Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3639 Written by Lee on Thursday, 1st February 2007 Answers : Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the proposed new timetable for the Cross Country Franchise will require the splitting up of any services. Mr. Tom Harris: In order to offer faster journey times between Birmingham and Scotland, and to provide a more operationally robust timetable on the West Coast mainline, direct services which currently continue towards the southwest and Bournemouth from Scotland via Preston will terminate at Birmingham New Street. A new hourly through service will be introduced from Manchester to Bristol, removing the need for passengers to change trains, and from Manchester to Bournemouth, improving direct links between popular destinations in North West and South West England; an hourly direct service will operate between Scotland and South West England via Leeds. Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of whetherthe platforming arrangements at New Street stationare adequate to accommodate the December 2008 timetable for (a) peak and (b) off-peak times. Mr. Tom Harris: The number of cross country passengers who have to change at Birmingham New Street station will reduce with the implementation of the December 2008 timetable, therefore it is anticipated that the flow of passengers around the station will improve with the introduction of the timetable. Network Rail has already indicated that robust and reliable plans for the operational issue of train platforming for the clock face timetables which will operate have been made. Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve rail services between Lancaster and Morecambe. Mr. Tom Harris: Between Lancaster and Morecambe, Northern Rail and Transpennine Express operate a total of 23 services in each direction between the hours of 06.28 and 22.48 on a Monday to Friday. In addition, Northern Rail also operates one service, in each direction, between Leeds and Morecambe, which for operational reasons, does not call at Lancaster. The Department for Transport does not have any plans to introduce additional services on this line of route beyond the current level of services that Northern Rail is contracted to deliver. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the change in the price of train fares in the west midlands over the past three years. Mr. Tom Harris: Figures are not available by county. Fares for regional operators are compiled by the Office of Rail Regulation and published every year in a document called National Rail Trends Yearbook. Copies of the relevant editions of National Rail Trends Yearbook (2005-06, 2004-05 and 2003-04) will be placed in the Libraries of the House and are also available at the following addresses respectively: http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/294.pdf http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/nrt0405-yr-rev.pdf http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/nrt0304-yr.pdf Questions : Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has received any representations on the future of (a) Sea Mills, (b) Shirehampton, (c) Avonmouth, (d) St. Andrews Road and (e) Severn Beach railway stations. Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much subisdy he expects to be paid to Virgin West Coast in each year until the end of the franchise. Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date he expects to publish his response to the Transport Select Committee's report on rail franchising. Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents involving (a) trains, (b) buses and (c) private hire vehicles there were in Chorley in each of the last five years. Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to prevent Britain's rail-tracks from becoming inoperative due to the heat from the sun during the summer. Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the Transport Innovation Fund bid from Shropshire County Council; and if he will make a statement. Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the change in numbers of passengers on Virgin Trains heading south from (a) Manchester, (b) Birmingham and (c) Liverpool through Milton Keynes in each of the next 10 years. Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what he plans the maximum permitted length of Virgin pendolino trains to be. Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the platforms at Milton Keynes Central train station were last extended; and for what reasons they were extended. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3664 Written by Lee on Friday, 2nd February 2007 Answers : Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials from his Department worked on the Eddington report. Gillian Merron: Sir Rod was supported by a team of 10 full-time civil servants; the team being made up of five people from the Department for Transport and HM Treasury respectively. Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport at what stage the application for Government funding to build a parkway station at Elmbridge Court, Gloucestershire, between Gloucester and Cheltenham is; and if he will make a statement. Gillian Merron [holding answer 30 January 2007]: The scheme is currently being assessed by the Department, but we awaiting further information from the local authority before we can take any decision. Questions : Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the consequences to customers using (a) Portsmouth and Southsea and (b) Portsmouth Harbour railway stations of delays with the re-signalling project. Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the most recent commissioning date is for the Portsmouth railway re-signalling project; and what the reasons are for the delay. Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what requirement exist in rail franchise agreements on the publication of information on trains that stop at stations, with particular reference to Virgin trains that stop at Milton Keynes station during peak periods to allow passengers to alight but not board. Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to review the procedure for the allocation of franchises to train operating companies. Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of rail passengers travelling between (a) 7 am and 9 am and (b) 5 pm and 7 pm (i) from (A) Bletchley, (B) Wolverton and (C) Milton Keynes Central to (1) London Euston, (2) Birmingham and (3) other northern destinations and (ii) to (x) Bletchley, (y) Wolverton and (z) Milton Keynes Central from (X) London Euston, (Y) Birmingham and (Z) other northern destinations. Mr Iain Wright (Hartlepool): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding is available from his Department to (a) renovate and (b) re-open railway stations and station halts. Mr Iain Wright (Hartlepool): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department plans to take to re-open railway station halts, with particular reference to stations between Sunderland and Middlesbrough. Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans there are to electrify the North London railway line between Barking and Gospel Oak; and if he will make a statement. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3750 Written by Lee on Monday, 5th February 2007 Questions : Andrew Gwynne (Denton & Reddish): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of the introduction of park and ride facilities on the outskirts of Greater Manchester. Andrew Gwynne (Denton & Reddish): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the scope for increasing commuter use of local rail services in Greater Manchester. Andrew Gwynne (Denton & Reddish): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of the introduction of red route measures to key transport corridors in the cities outside London; and if he will make a statement. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3763 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Monday, 5th February 2007 [quote author=Lee link=topic=813.msg3664#msg3664 date=1170415095] Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to review the procedure for the allocation of franchises to train operating companies. [/quote] I find that one (previous batch) quite interesting .... of course the answer could be simply "yes" or "no" and that really wouldn't tell us very much! Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3782 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 6th February 2007 Answers : Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to encourage Central Trains to respond to (a) customer complaints and (b) communications from hon. Members sent on behalf of their constituents in a timely and professional manner; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: All operators are required to have a complaints handling procedure which sets out the response rates to complaints which they are required to meet. Central Trains figures for the latest period available indicates that 91 per cent. of complaints were responded to within the target period of three weeks. Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the Transport Innovation Fund bid from Shropshire County Council; and if he will make a statement. Dr. Ladyman: No bid has been received from Shropshire county council for the Transport Innovation Fund. However, in October 2005 Shropshire bid for funding to support initial scheme development for TIF, and again for further development funding in July 2006. In both cases the bids were successful. Questions : Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of establishing vehicle access barriers at all major train stations in England and Wales. Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to install vehicle access barriers at public transport hubs. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3800 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 7th February 2007 Answers : Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Network Rail on the refurbishment of the interior of Finsbury Park station; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: The overground part of Finsbury Park station is owned by Network Rail and operated by First Capital Connect. Any matters relating to interior refurbishment will be agreed between these two parties and Transport for London. Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans First Great Western has to dispose of Adelante rolling stock; and what plans they have to acquire new rolling stock. Mr. Tom Harris: As part of their franchise proposal First Great Western identified that the Adelante rolling stock would be returned to the lessor in December 2007. To replace this rolling stock First Great Western has taken on lease additional high speed train (HST) sets which have a higher seating capacity. The HST sets are going through a programme of major overhaul and refurbishment which includes re-engineering and reliability improvements. (Interesting that Harris blames FGW for the return of the Adelantes to the lessor - Lee.) Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) locomotives and (b) carriages operated by First Great Western were built before 1980. Mr. Tom Harris: The following number of locomotives and carriages operated by First Great Western were built before 1980. Number (a) Locomotives Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3826 Written by Lee on Thursday, 8th February 2007 Answers : Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost is for First Great Western to hire an (a) Mark III first class carriage, (b) Mark III standard class carriage and (c) Mark III buffet bar carriage. Mr. Tom Harris: Details of lease costs are a commercial matter between First Great Western and the rolling stock company. Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to introduce park and ride schemes. Gillian Merron: Park and ride schemes are playing an important part in helping to reduce congestion in many localities. During the first Local Transport Plan (LTP) period (2001-06), local transport authorities in England (outside of London) spent a total of Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/3841 Written by Lee on Friday, 9th February 2007 Answers : Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions for disabled car drivers have been put in place whilst the lifts at Milton Keynes Central railway station multi-storey car park are not working. Mr. Tom Harris: The disabled car parking spaces at Milton Keynes Central railway station are at ground level and so Silverlink, the Station Facility Operator, does not implement any special measures when the car park lifts are not in operation. Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department plans to take to re-open railway station halts, with particular reference to stations between Sunderland and Middlesbrough. Mr. Tom Harris: The Department does not have any plans to re-open railway stations between Middlesbrough and Sunderland, however the North East Regional Planning Assessment does make reference to the possibility at growth locations subject to external funding for proposals. The Department will consider proposals for new stations which are supported by Local Transport Plans and include a fully worked up business case. Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding is available to improve rail services on the Lancaster/Morecambe line. Mr. Tom Harris: There are no plans to change the rail service on the Lancaster/Morecombe line. Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will encourage the relevant train operators to provide more direct train services from Manchester and Preston to Morecambe. Mr. Tom Harris: There are no plans to encourage train operators to provide more direct train services from Manchester and Preston to Morecombe. Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the merits of the introduction of red route measures to key transport corridors in the cities outside London; and if he will make a statement. [119493] Gillian Merron: It is the responsibility of individual traffic authorities to consider and implement traffic management measures that are appropriate for local conditions. The Department is involved where a local authority requests capital funding for transport infrastructure. West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive successfully applied for major project funding for the introduction of red routes. Before approval was awarded the scheme underwent a full economic appraisal to assess the benefits and value for money. The scheme was fully approved in 2004 and is currently being implemented. Once complete, monitoring and evaluation will establish its effectiveness. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he made to the train service requirements from (a) Ashwell and Morden, (b) Baldock and (c) Letchworth in the specification for the current Thameslink/First Capital Connect franchise compared to the service under the previous franchise. Mr. Tom Harris: There have been no changes in the specified service requirements from Ashwell and Morden, Baldock and Letchworth as a result of the implementation of the First Capital Connect Service Level Commitment in place of the Great Northern Franchise Passenger Service Requirement. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4000 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 20th February 2007 Questions : Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on extending selective door opening on trains. Susan Kramer (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much investment in rail infrastructure is planned by South West Trains over the next (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years. Susan Kramer (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had on the future of the Nine Elms and Stewarts Lane viaducts near London Waterloo; and if he will make a statement. Susan Kramer (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the projected increase in rail passenger numbers is in (a) London, (b) South West London and (c) Richmond Park constituency over the next (i) five, (ii) 10 and (iii) 15 years. Susan Kramer (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the building works for the Thameslink 2000 project are expected to finish. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4015 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 21st February 2007 Answers : Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions special advisers have been consulted in replying to Freedom of Information requests to his Department; and what his Department's policy is on the role of special advisers in the answering of Freedom of Information requests. Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport does not keep such records. Special advisers carry out their duties in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs on ensuring that private companies performing public services are subject to Freedom of Information regulations. Gillian Merron: In the course of official business I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a wide range of issues. Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) letters and (b) e-mails his Department has received on the First Great Western rail services since December 2006. Mr. Tom Harris: The ministerial team at the Department for Transport has received 73 letters and e-mails on First Great Western rail services since December 2006. Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the merits of the introduction of park and ride facilities on the outskirts of Greater Manchester. Gillian Merron: The Department has not made a specific assessment of any proposal for a park and ride scheme in Greater Manchester. The Department has assessed the Greater Manchester Second Local Transport Plan, which explains the approach and policy towards heavy rail, light rail, and bus based park and ride. It is for the authorities of Greater Manchester, working in partnership with operators proposing schemes, to assess their potential taking account of transport, environmental, social and economic effects, user benefits and financial implications. Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2007, Official Report, column 772W, on Pendolino trains, whether Milton Keynes Central requires any significant work to (a) a platform length and (b) other areas to accommodate the longer trains. Mr. Tom Harris: The platforms at Milton Keynes Central station can accommodate the present length of passenger trains used on the West Coast Main Line. The station would also be able to accommodate the Pendolino trains if extended to 10 or 11 cars, which has been the subject of recent negotiations with Virgin Trains. Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why some Virgin trains stop at Milton Keynes Central to drop off but not pick up. Mr. Tom Harris: A morning peak hour service from the West Midlands, operated by Virgin West Coast Trains and provided mainly for passengers travelling through to London, makes a call at Milton Keynes Central. This decision was taken by Virgin Trains in order specifically to set down a number of regular commuters who travel from the West Midlands. A late night journey making the same journey also calls to set down only in Milton Keynes (at 0014). This is because overnight, essential engineering work may prevent the regular operation of the service. Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2007, Official Report, column 772W, on rail services, what the spare capacity is on Virgin Trains heading south through but not stopping at Milton Keynes Central during peak hours in the morning; and what the percentage spare capacity this equates to in terms of numbers of seats. Mr. Tom Harris: The volume of spare capacity on each train passing through Milton Keynes station during peak hours will inevitably vary from day to day. At present, this may amount to no more than 30 seats in standard class and twice this amount in first class with business continuing to grow significantly. Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has made an assessment of the long-term effects of climate change on (a) road disintegration caused by heat and (b) the safety of rail tracks subjected to greater heat. Dr. Ladyman: A Department for Transport (DfT) report in 2004 entitled Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4050 Written by Lee on Friday, 23rd February 2007 Answers : Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with First Great Western about post-December 2006 (a) reliability and (b) staff shortages on trains to the far South West. Mr. Tom Harris: Issues such as staff shortages on trains are discussed when ministers meet monthly with the rail industry to assess performance and also hold other discussions as needed. The last discussion was held with First Group on 14 February 2007. Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to encourage the early designation of railways and bus stations as non-smoking areas. Mr. Tom Harris: All passenger trains are already non-smoking and smoking is not permitted in areas at many stations. Those stations and bus stations where smoking is still permitted will become subject to the new legislation contained in the Health Act 2006 (smoke-free premises, places and vehicles) when it takes effect. Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been invested annually in infrastructure by rail services operating in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) each of the areas of London over the last 10 years. Mr. Tom Harris: Investment by the railway industry for Great Britain is set out in the National Rail Trends, which is available in the Library of the House and at: www.rail-reg.gov.uk. The Government do not collect investment data by sub-region or region. Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of empty seats on Virgin Pendolino trains passing through Milton Keynes Central Station on weekdays between 7 am and 9 am without stopping, or to set-down only. Mr. Tom Harris: The volume of spare capacity on each southbound Virgin Pendolino train passing through Milton Keynes Central station will inevitably vary from day to day. At present, this may amount to no more than 30 seats in standard class and twice this amount in first class, with business continuing to grow substantially. Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with South West Trains on the future use of the former Eurostar platforms at London Waterloo; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: The use of Eurostar platforms at Waterloo was included as a priced option within the Franchise Specification for the South Western Franchise. The Department continues to discuss detailed options at Waterloo International with all interested parties including South West Trains and Network Rail. Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the building works for the Thameslink 2000 project are expected to finish. [122010] Mr. Tom Harris: The decision to proceed with the Thameslink project is being considered in the context of the comprehensive spending review and the High Level Outputs statement for the rail industry. A decision on the project will be taken later this year. If the project is implemented Network Rail Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4085 Written by Lee on Monday, 26th February 2007 Answers : Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department will reply to the letter dated 10 January 2007 from Mr. Terry Holt, the Secretary of the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Rail Action Committee, on the East Midlands Rail Franchise. Mr. Tom Harris: The Department has no record of receiving a letter dated 10 January 2007 from Mr. Terry Holt. Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what increase in rail passenger numbers is projected for South West Trains over the next 10 years; and how much the Government are investing in related infrastructure over the same period. Mr. Tom Harris: The Southern Regional Planning Assessment for the railway (which includes the area served by South West Trains); published January 2007, forecasted a possible increase in passenger demand in the morning peak period of 18.7 per cent. between 2002-03 and 2016. The Department will be publishing the high level output specification in July which will outline the Government's requirements from Network Rail over the next control period. Questions : Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that Eurotunnel prices the infrastructure charge for Channel Tunnel freight at rates the market can bear as required by European law. Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government plans to take to ensure that Eurotunnel removes technical barriers to competitive service through the Channel Tunnel as required by European law. Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answers of (a) 30th January 2007, Official Report, column 65, on Milton Keynes station, and (b) 19th February 2007, Official Report, column 382W, on Pendolino trains, whether the platform length at Milton Keynes station is sufficient to accommodate trains (i) in use and (ii) planned for use on the relevant lines. Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, purusant to the Answer of 19th February 2007, Official Report, column 383W, on rail services, what estimate he has made of the average daily peak time spare capacity on trains not stopping at Milton Keynes; and for what reasons such trains with spare capacity do not take on passengers at Milton Keynes Station. Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19th January 2007, Official Report, column 383W, on rail services, why passengers are not allowed to get on those services referred to which stop at Milton Keynes in order to set down passengers. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4098 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 27th February 2007 Answers : David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Central Trains about the industrial dispute between that train operating company and the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union. Mr. Tom Harris: My officials have been in contact with Central Trains' management regarding this dispute. This is a matter for the employer and employees, but I hope that it is resolved quickly to avoid further disruption to passengers. David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Central Trains is being indemnified for losses accrued as a result of industrial action taken in the last 12 months. Mr. Tom Harris: Central Trains has not received any indemnification for losses accrued as a result of industrial action taken in the last 12 months. Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of transferring the Eurostar International services from London Waterloo Station to London St. Pancras. Mr. Tom Harris: The chief effect of transferring Eurostar International services to St. Pancras is that passengers will benefit from a 20 minute saving on the international leg of the journey, further increasing the attractiveness of high speed rail for international travel. Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government are taking to ensure that Eurotunnel prices the infrastructure charge for Channel Tunnel freight at rates the market can bear as required by European law. Mr. Tom Harris: As required by Directive 2001/14/EC, Eurotunnel Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4281 Written by Lee on Monday, 12th March 2007 Catch - up answers : Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the structure of rail season ticket prices in relation to their affordability for people working from home for one or more days a week. Mr. Tom Harris [holding answer 27 February 2007]: Rail season ticket prices provide a discount on the cost of the daily peak return. This incentivises passengers to buy season tickets and benefit from the flexibility that they bring. For example, the standard class weekly season ticket from Oxford to London costs Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4282 Written by Lee on Monday, 12th March 2007 Catch - up answers continued : Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has invested in the West Coast Main Line upgrade. Mr. Tom Harris: The investment made in the West Coast Main Line upgrade is to date is Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4283 Written by Lee on Monday, 12th March 2007 More catch - up answers : James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the implications of the staging of the 2012 Olympics for decisions on the extension of c2c's franchise beyond 2011. Dr. Evan Harris [holding answer 6 March 2007]: No assessment or decision has yet been made on this issue. The Department is mindful of the current end date of the franchise and its relationship to 2012 Olympic Games. Questions : Mr Christopher Fraser (South West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents occurred at railway level crossings in each of the last five years; and how many of those were due to (a) signal failure and (b) (i) pedestrians and (ii) vehicles on the line. Susan Kramer (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the rates of overcrowding on (a) South West trains and (b) national network trains were in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4395 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 20th March 2007 Answers : Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps either to remove or to upgrade the half barrier level crossings in Hampshire; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: Any changes would need to be proposed by Network Rail and agreed by the Office of Rail Regulation, the health and safety regulator for the railway. All level crossings of whatever type are adequately safe when used correctly. Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the Olive Mount Chord project at the port of Liverpool to be completed; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: The project to re-instate the Olive Mount Chord is being promoted by a variety of parties including the Northern Way and Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, working with Network Rail. The completion date for the scheme is a matter for Network Rail and the proposers. Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new railway line he plans to be constructed in each of the next five years. Mr. Tom Harris: In July the Secretary of State for Transport will publish a High Level Output Specification for England and Wales. This will set out the railway improvements the Government wishes to buy in terms of capacity, safety and reliability, and the funding to support this for the five-year period from April 2009. It will be for the rail industry to determine what inputs are required to deliver this. Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the rates of overcrowding on (a) South West trains and (b) national network trains were in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: Data to which the Department has access is limited to Passengers in Excess of Capacity (PIXC), a measure which applies to weekday commuter trains arriving in London between 7 am and 9.59 am and departing London between 4 pm and 6.59 pm. The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) publishes PIXC figures in its National Rail Trends publication. The most recent edition, covering 2005, was published on 5 July 2006. The document is on the internet at the following address: http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/294.pdf and has been made available in the Library of the House. Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the status is of the proposal to redouble the line between Kemble and Swindon currently with Network Rail; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris [pursuant to the reply, 6 March 2007, Official Report, c. 1853-54W]: I understand that Network Rail has consulted industry parties on possible changes to the Kemble to Swindon line to improve performance. Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what performance targets he has set for GNER for the East Coast Main Line franchise; and what assessment he has made of performance against those targets since December 2006. Mr. Tom Harris: Improving performance on the route is a key output in the current franchise, and continues to be so under the Management Agreement in place since December 2006. The key performance indicators to improving performance are reviewed and discussed at monthly Franchise Performance Meetings. GNER remains committed to improving both its reliability and punctuality on the route and is working with Network Rail to identify improvements. Other performance enhancements which are ongoing are: re-engineering the diesel high speed train fleet Implementation of a range of reliability improvements to its electric fleet Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work has been undertaken to enhance capacity on Trans-Pennine rail routes since 1997. Mr. Tom Harris: The First Transpennine Express (TPE) franchise commenced on 1 February 2004. Since that time, the franchise has delivered capacity improvements in excess of 18 per cent. Much of this was due to an increase from three trains/hour to four trains/hour over the core Leeds Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4520 Written by Lee on Monday, 26th March 2007 Answers : Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work has been undertaken to enhance capacity on the London to Brighton line since 1997. Mr. Tom Harris: Since 1997 the measure to address capacity issues on the Brighton Main Line has been to introduce new rolling stock for the Southern franchise. The old slam door fleet has been fully replaced, with 24 per cent. extra trains in total with each new train having more capacity than the train it replaced. The next phase of capacity enhancement will be implemented as the Brighton Main Line Rail Utilisation Strategy (BML RUS). The BML RUS will make better use of the existing capacity on the Brighton Main Line. After this the next measure would be the Thameslink programme that will be decided on as part of the comprehensive spending review this year The High Level Output Statement (HLOS), again due to be published this year, will set out the best long-term plan to accommodate the growth on this route beyond the steps already taken and the plans already in place. Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what transport improvements for which his Department is responsible there have been in Tamworth constituency in the last 12 months; and what improvements are planned. Gillian Merron: The Department allocated Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4534 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 28th March 2007 Answers : Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many light rail projects his Department has considered since 1997. Mr. Tom Harris: 18 schemes have been considered since 1997, some of which were considered more than once in different forms. Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to improve security on (a) underground trains, (b) overland trains, (c) rail terminals and (d) bus terminals since 2005. Mr. Tom Harris: The Department is security regulator for transport industries including the rail network in Great Britain and the London underground. We maintain a risk-driven protective security regime based on assessments of the terrorist threat prepared by the Security Service. The London attacks in July 2005 necessitated the raising of security measures to their highest level, with a package of supplementary measures deployed by rail and underground operators. In response to the London attacks we also developed, in consultation with industry and the police, specific best practice guidance for the bus and coach sector. The situation is kept under constant review to ensure that measures remain relevant. We also continue to look at what further practical measures can be taken to protect transport targets. It is not appropriate to discuss the specific details of our current or any potential future counter-terrorist security measures on public transport to avoid potentially compromising their effectiveness. However, it is important to remember that our rail and underground networks, and bus services, are open systems and it is therefore impracticable to impose the sort of security regimes seen at our airports. Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department has made available to (a) Network Rail, (b) Transport for London and (c) British Transport Police to improve transport security since 2005. Mr. Tom Harris: The Strategic Rail Authority provided Network Rail with Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4630 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 4th April 2007 Answers : Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) rail and (b) tram stations there are in England and Wales; and (c) how many bus stations there are in England. Mr. Tom Harris: The information is as follows. (a) The Network Rail Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4889 Written by Lee on Thursday, 19th April 2007 Answers : Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are employed by the British Railways Board (Residuary); what that body's budget was in 2006-07; and what the functions of the residuary body are. Mr. Tom Harris: BRB (Residuary) Ltd. (BRBR) currently employs 36 full-time equivalent members of staff. The company is forecast to incur net costs of Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4962 Written by Lee on Monday, 23rd April 2007 Answers : Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance he has issued on the conduct of relations between lobbyists and (a) officials and (b) Ministers in his Department; and if he will make a statement. Gillian Merron: Ministers and civil servants act in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Code. Detailed guidance on contacts between civil servants and lobbyists is set out in the Directory of Civil Service Guidance, which is in the Libraries of the House and on the Cabinet Office website. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work his Department has undertaken to investigate a second line on the Heathrow Express to St. Pancras. Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport has not carried out any work on this proposal. Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many railway lines selective door opening is running. Mr. Tom Harris: All modern rolling stock produced in the last 10 years, including Pendolino, Voyager, Meridian, Adelante, Electrostar, Turbostar, and Desiro trains, has a facility for selective control of door opening. Nationally this represents over 1/3 of the UK rolling stock fleet. The Train Operating Companies use this facility wherever short platforms make it necessary on the lines over which these trains operate, and I have deposited a current list of these lines in the House Library. Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to support proposed European legislation that would require facilities for bicycles on all European trains. Mr. Tom Harris: The UK supports the Common Position reached by the Council and Commission on the International Rail Passengers Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4974 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 24th April 2007 Answers : Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the budget allocated to Wolverton station for an upgrade of station buildings has been reduced. Mr. Tom Harris: A grant was awarded from the Community Infrastructure Fund for both the enlargement of Milton Keynes station and provision of a new building at Wolverton station. There has been no reduction to the total amount. Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the ability of platforms on the West Coast Mainline to facilitate longer trains. Mr. Tom Harris: Platforms at stations on the West Coast Main Line already have the capability of accommodating longer trains or proposals exist to extend them this as necessary. Questions : Ann Coffey (Stockport):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the proposed service frequency is for Stockport in the invitation to tender issued by DfT Rail for New Cross Country; and if he will make a statement. Richard Ottaway (Croydon South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19th April 2007, Official Report, column 775W, on Eurotunnel, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on the operation of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link should Eurotunnel go into receivership. Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will develop a joint strategy with the Secretary of State for Health to inform rail passengers about the imminent introduction of the ban on smoking on station premises. Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) Network Rail and (b) train operators make an early start in informing their passengers of the forthcoming ban on smoking at railway, coach and bus stations. Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to increase the speed of Eurostar trains between the Channel Tunnel and London; and if he will make a statement. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4991 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 25th April 2007 Answers : Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many applications under Section 17 of the Railways Act 1993 for a track access agreement have been made by regional new rail companies; and how many have been (a) rejected and (b) accepted. Mr. Tom Harris: Applications for track access agreements under section 17 of the Railways Act 1993 are dealt with by the Office of Rail Regulation. Two prospective new railway companies have made applications under section 17. Grand Central Railway Company Limited has made two applications; one was rejected and one was approved. Wrexham Shropshire and Marylebone Railway Company has made two applications: one was withdrawn and one is currently under consideration. Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the additional 1,000 railway carriages recently announced will be constructed to carry bicycles. Mr. Tom Harris: It is too early to comment on the design of the additional rolling stock. Regrettably, there will always be constraints on the ability to accommodate non-folding bicycles at peak times, with the competing pressures on space from increasing passenger numbers. Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the additional 1,000 new railway carriages recently announced will be allocated to operating companies; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: It is too early to say where precisely the additional rolling stock will be used. The deployment of new rolling stock will be agreed with the industry following the publication of the High Level Output Specification and the long term rail strategy this summer, in accordance with the Periodic Review timetable set out in the Office of Rail Regulation Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4992 Written by courgettelawn on Wednesday, 25th April 2007 Just had this through from TheyWorkForYou.com, Salisbury MP Robert Key's questions to Tom Harris about the 1000 extra carriages. Talk about dilly-dallying, Tom Harris has made it into an art form. Why is it "to early to..." Robert Key (Salisbury, Conservative) To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the additional 1,000 railway carriages recently announced will be constructed to carry bicycles.To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the additional 1,000 railway carriages recently announced will be constructed to carry bicycles. Tom Harris (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport) It is too early to comment on the design of the additional rolling stock. Regrettably, there will always be constraints on the ability to accommodate non-folding bicycles at peak times, with the competing pressures on space from increasing passenger numbers. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2007-04-24a.133169.h&s=speaker%3A10336#g133169.q0 and Robert Key (Salisbury, Conservative) To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the additional 1,000 new railway carriages recently announced will be allocated to operating companies; and if he will make a statement. Tom Harris (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport) It is too early to say where precisely the additional rolling stock will be used. The deployment of new rolling stock will be agreed with the industry following the publication of the High Level Output Specification and the long term rail strategy this summer, in accordance with the Periodic Review timetable set out in the Office of Rail Regulation's advice to Ministers published in February 2007. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/4998 Written by tramway on Wednesday, 25th April 2007 [quote author=Lee link=topic=813.msg4962#msg4962 date=1177342351] Answers : Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the increased passenger numbers using Northern Rail; and what actions his Department is taking to ensure the extra capacity needed to accommodate these passengers is available. [132508] Mr. Tom Harris: Passenger journeys on the Northern Rail network were estimated at nearly 61 million in 2004-05 and passenger numbers have grown at approximately 10 per cent. per annum in each of the past two years. The Department continues to work closely with Northern Rail and other local stakeholders to identify and secure value for money opportunities to provide additional capacity. In recent months, Northern Rail has introduced an additional six trains to provide additional capacity in West Yorkshire, has announced an additional six trains to strengthen services into Liverpool and, in conjunction with the Department and other partners has secured the retention of eight vehicles in trains serving Leeds that otherwise would have been removed this month. The High Level Output Specification (HLOS), to be published in summer, will set out the additional rail capacity the Government propose to buy to meet the recent and forecast growth in demand for rail travel. The Secretary of State has already announced his intention of specifying 1,000 extra carriages to come into service between now and 2014. It is too early to say precisely where the additional rolling stock will be used: the rail industry Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/5003 Written by Lee on Thursday, 26th April 2007 [quote author=tramway link=topic=813.msg4998#msg4998 date=1177535310]And we all know where they came from. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/5011 Written by Lee on Thursday, 26th April 2007 Answers : Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to increase the speed of Eurostar trains between the Channel Tunnel and London; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: The operation of the Eurostar trains is a matter for Eurostar and London and Continental Railways as operator of the railway on which they run, and not for the Secretary of State. There are no current plans to increase the speed of Eurostar trains. Section 2 of the Channel Tunnel rail link, now known as high speed 1, will open on 14 November 2007. As a result journey times to the Channel Tunnel from London will reduce by some 23 to 25 minutes. It needs to be borne in mind that higher speeds require additional power and the right balance needs to be struck between keeping journey times short and carbon emissions down. The speed of the trains on high speed 1 is governed by the design speed of the railway based on track geometry, and the maximum speed of the trains themselves. The maximum speed of the current Eurostar train sets is around 335 kph based on the 2003 record run on section 1. The scheduled line speed between Ebbsfleet and the Channel Tunnel is 275 kph, although trains can travel at up to 300 kph if necessary. Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of the Rail Accident Investigation into the Oxenholme derailment. Mr. Tom Harris: The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is continuing with its investigation into the derailment and expects to publish a second interim report once its investigation into the condition of the points is complete. Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the potential change in carbon dioxide emissions of operating longer trains. Mr. Tom Harris: The Department has not made such an estimate. However, the Department recognises the carbon advantages that longer trains offer compared to other modes in meeting underlying demand. Based on average occupancy levels, trains produce around half the carbon emissions of cars per passenger kilometre. Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requirement exists for train operating companies (a) to carry and (b) to provide space for carrying bicycles on their trains; and if he will make a statement. [133452] Mr. Tom Harris: The Department has formally adopted as its own policy the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) Cycling Policy document published in November 2004. It expects all Train Operating Companies (TOCs) to accommodate the carriage of non folding bicycles whenever possible, while recognising that in peak periods there may be circumstances where it is in the best interests of the majority of passengers not to do so. We believe that TOCs are best placed to know where and when such pressure on capacity exists and should be free to impose restrictions accordingly. TOCs should also specify the services that they define as peak. The carriage of folding bikes is recommended at all times. The Department has asked Cycling England, its advisory body on cycling, to report on how further improvements to integrate bike and rail journeys might be made. Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the proposed service frequency is for Stockport in the invitation to tender issued by DfT Rail for New Cross Country; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: The specification for the New Cross country franchise requires Stockport to be served by a minimum of one train per hour in each direction. Bidders are free to stop more trains at Stockport if they believe that there is a call to do so and they can reach and agreement with Network Rail. Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the potential reduction in motor vehicle journeys due to the extra capacity on the rail network. Mr. Tom Harris: No estimate has been made of the reduction in motor vehicle journeys due to the extra capacity that will be provided on the rail network. Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the 1,000 new carriages in the high level output specification to which he referred in his speech to the rail conference on 14 March 2007 are in addition to any previously existing orders or anticipated orders which provide additional capacity rather than replacing other existing stock; how he expects any additional capacity to be funded; by whom he expects it to be funded; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: The 1,000 new carriages will be in addition to any pre-existing orders. It is too early to predict how many of the existing fleet of approximately 11,400 rail carriages will be replaced by 2014. I can, however, re-iterate the Government intention to commit to contracting with train operators for 1,000 additional carriages by 2014 to meet the rising demand for rail travel. This will form part of the capacity procured through the rail high level output specification (HLOS) to be published in July and will be in addition to any carriage replacements. The HLOS will be accompanied by a statement of funds available. Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the 1,000 new train carriages announced on 14 March 2007 will include the 106 carriages needed to reduce congestion on Virgin Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/5056 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 1st May 2007 Answers : Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his timetable is for making a decision on the Crossrail project in London. Mr. Tom Harris: Crossrail funding and financing issues will be considered further in the context of Sir Michael Lyons Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/5098 Written by Lee on Friday, 4th May 2007 Answers : Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) financial and (b) other support is offered to local authorities who wish to establish park and ride schemes; and if he will make a statement. Gillian Merron: Most schemes are funded through the integrated transport block, which the Department allocates to support local transport plans (LTPs). The funding is for local authorities to invest in transport capital works, including park and ride, according to their local plans and priorities. It totals Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/5104 Written by Lee on Saturday, 5th May 2007 Questions : Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with his Welsh counterpart on improvements to the Cambrian line between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth. Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has made to help develop rail infrastructure in Shropshire on the line between Wolverhampton and Central Wales. Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the condition of the track between Hull and Scarborough on the possibility of running special excursion trains on that line; and if he will make a statement. Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the condition of the train track running between Hull and Scarborough; and if he will make a statement. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/5155 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 9th May 2007 Answers : Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2007 with the Prime Minister, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, the Mayor of London and business representatives on Crossrail, redacting any personal or commercially sensitive information as necessary. Mr. Tom Harris: Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to such private meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of discussion. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what change there has been in the level of use of (a) the Transpennine rail route and (b) the London to Brighton line since 1997. Mr. Tom Harris: The number of passengers travelling on the Transpennine rail route has grown by over 35 per cent. during the period of the new franchise between 2004 and 2007, and is forecast to increase by 34 per cent. between now and 2012. Passenger demand on the Brighton main line has grown by just over 30 per cent. during the period between 1995 and 2003 and is expected to grow by up to 27 per cent. between 2003 and 2011. Both routes have benefited from recent investment. Examples are the introduction of new class 185 trains on Transpennine and the replacement of the entire fleet of slam door trains on the Brighton main line. Questions : Anne Moffat (East Lothian): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many railway stations will receive funding from the Access for All scheme. Anne Moffat (East Lothian): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what change there has been in the number of rail passenger journeys since 1997. Anne Moffat (East Lothian): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his targets for railway punctuality and reliability have been met. Anne Moffat (East Lothian): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department collects on railway (a) passenger and (b) freight journeys in other EU countries for benchmarking UK performance; and what EU-wide targets are relevant to railway usage. Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of Network Rail on litter on the track and railway land; and if he will make a statement. Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of passengers travelling to and from Heathrow Airport by (a) private motor vehicles, (b) taxis, (c) London Underground and (d) Heathrow Express in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/5185 Written by Lee on Friday, 11th May 2007 Answers : Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many railway stations will receive funding from the Access for All scheme. Mr. Tom Harris: We have announced 92 stations in England and Wales that we expect Network Rail to improve up to 2011 and are developing the list of stations that will be included in the programme between 2012 and 2015. Work at more than 500 other stations has been approved up to March 2008 under the Access for All Small Schemes programme. There will be further rounds of bidding each year until at least 2015. Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which five train services had the highest number of passengers in excess of capacity levels in each of the 10 largest cities in the UK in the most recent period for which figures are available. Mr. Tom Harris: The Department only has access to data covering Passengers in Excess of Capacity (PIXC), which applies to weekday commuter trains arriving in London between 07:00 and 09:59 and those departing London between 16:00 and 18:59. The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) publishes PIXC figures in its National Rail Trends publication; the most recent version covering 2005 was published on 5 July 2006 and is available in the Library of the House. Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has made to help develop rail infrastructure in Shropshire on the line between Wolverhampton and Central Wales. Mr. Tom Harris: Network Rail plans to complete line speed improvements between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury to achieve a 90 mph line speed in 2008-09. It is also considering signalling and track changes to permit direct access to platform 3 of Shrewsbury station from the Craven Arms direction. The Department Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/5354 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 22nd May 2007 Answers : Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the procedures for awarding franchises on the east coast main line. Mr. Tom Harris: Bids are evaluated in accordance with the European Foundation for Quality Management principles and consider he evidence contained in the bid and that available more widely to the Department. The franchise will be awarded to the bidder that provides best operational and financial deliverability and value for money to the taxpayer. Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase spending on railways in the north-west; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: Rail services in the north-west have improved substantially as a result of investment in the west coast main line upgrade and the new high speed trains which now operate on the route. Future rail investment in this and other regions will be the subject of the high level output specification for rail which the Government will publish in July. Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for which Government websites he is responsible; how many visitors each received in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the cost (a) was of establishing and (b) has been of maintaining each site. Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport maintains 62 public-facing websites, including those run by the Executive agencies. 43 of these sites have been identified for rationalisation or closure as part of the website rationalisation programme under the Transformational Government Agenda. Tables have been placed in the Libraries of the House showing unique visitor numbers, costs of establishing each site and maintenance costs for the Department of Transport websites. Unique visitor data are not provided for all sites as the statistical software used on those sites do not produce this level of detail, only providing page requests rather than visitor data. Where setup costs are not available this is because the site was established several years ago and the information is no longer available without incurring disproportionate costs. Where annual maintenance costs are not available this is due to a number of reasons; either the site has only recently been available and maintenance costs are only applicable for the current financial year; the costs are part of a much larger contract and cannot be itemised; or the costs cannot be calculated without incurring disproportionate costs. Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department collects on railway (a) passenger and (b) freight journeys in other EU countries for benchmarking UK performance; and what EU-wide targets are relevant to railway usage. Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport does not separately collect information from other EU countries but makes use of a wide range of external sources, including the International Railway Union (UIC). In addition the UK is taking a leading role in the European Commission's Rail Market Monitoring working group, which is collating statistics relating to the EU's national railways. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which train services in the last 12 months were the most heavily loaded on (a) the east coast main line, (b) the west coast main line and (c) the trans-Pennine line according to the most recent passenger census. Mr. Tom Harris: I understand from train operators concerned that, based on the most recent passenger counts undertaken by the train operators, the most heavily loaded services on each route requested are as follows: East coast main line Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/5549 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 5th June 2007 Answers : Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to increase car parking space at Milton Keynes station. Mr. Tom Harris: Network Rail, in conjunction with Milton Keynes council and other key stakeholders, is working on proposals to increase car parking capacity. The Department is monitoring progress to ensure delivery meets the anticipated increases in demand following the improved timetables to be introduced on the West Coast Main Line in early 2009. Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set benchmarks or other criteria to be achieved by Network Rail and train operators in ensuring access to railway stations for (a) disabled people, (b) people who are semi-ambulant and (c) mothers with young children; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris [holding answer 21 May 2007]: When undertaking refurbishment or installing new equipment at stations Network Rail and train operating companies are required to meet the technical standards in the Train and Station Service for Disabled Passengers: A Code of Practice (SRA, 2002). In addition, new technical standards for stations are due to come into force shortly under the EU-wide Technical Standards for Interoperability; Persons of Reduced Mobility. This will apply to those with luggage, parents with prams and other groups, as well as disabled people. Operators also have a duty under Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to make reasonable adjustments to their services to ensure they are not impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to access. Where a train operator or Network Rail cannot meet the required standards in the code of practice, they must apply to the Department for a dispensation. As a result of the incoming European Technical Standards for Interoperability; Persons of Reduced Mobility, the Department are currently developing an updated code of practice to bring UK standards into line with the TSI. The Railways for All strategy was launched on 26 March 2006. It sets out what the rail industry is doing to improve access to Britain's railways, particularly for people with disabilities, in line with the standards contained in the code. Central to the strategy is the Access for All programme which provides Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/5580 Written by Lee on Thursday, 7th June 2007 Answers : Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had on the extension of the Midlands Metro; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: My right hon. Friend has not had any recent discussions about extensions to the Midland Metro system. We understand that the West Midland metropolitan authorities intend to include proposals for extensions to the Midland Metro system within a wider package of measures as part of a bid for funding from the Transport Innovation Fund. Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of extra capacity available on UK railways for rail freight; and what assessment he has made of how available capacity could be utilised to ease road congestion. Mr. Tom Harris: Network Rail is currently undertaking Route Utilisation Strategies (RUSs). All RUSs assess and seek to balance capacity, passenger and freight demand, operational performance and cost. The RUSs will form a key input to the basis for the development and delivery of timetables, infrastructure and renewals of the network. The Freight RUS was published in March 2007, using forecasts by the rail freight industry. It established that there was extra capacity for freight growth in some areas and made recommendations for using available capacity as efficiently as possible. Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he is having with the Rail Regulator on the possible introduction of a direct rail service between Shrewsbury and London. Mr. Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation is due to announce, within the next few weeks, its decision on an application for track access rights to operate direct rail services between Shrewsbury and London Marylebone. It is not appropriate for the Department to interfere with the decision-making process of an independent regulatory body, although it may offer comments. The Department Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/5604 Written by Lee on Saturday, 9th June 2007 [quote author=Lee link=topic=813.msg5580#msg5580 date=1181226755]Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what mechanisms are in place to monitor levels of passenger comfort on the new carriages introduced by South West Trains on their inter-city routes. Mr. Tom Harris: The introduction of the Class 450s has meant that older trains have been replaced with newer stock on wider sections of the network, leading to an increase in overall capacity. This allows greater numbers of passengers to have a seat during their journey. SSWT advise that the Class 450s fully comply with all health and safety requirements.[/quote] There has been a strong reaction to this answer (link below.) http://www.no450forum.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=116&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight= Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/5729 Written by Lee on Monday, 18th June 2007 Answers : Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to authorise changes to the Eurostar train services from Ashford International Train Station. Mr. Tom Harris: Eurostar has to set its timetables to meet its obligation to operate a sound commercial business. The Government have no formal role in this. Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve the contribution of the transport infrastructure to the economy. Gillian Merron: The Eddington Transport Study Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/5837 Written by Lee on Saturday, 23rd June 2007 Answers : Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of the 1999 Health and Safety Commission inquiry into train protection systems. Mr. Tom Harris: Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/6030 Written by Lee on Monday, 2nd July 2007 Answers : Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has estimated the cost of subsidy by South East Trains of free rail transport for Kentish passengers seeking to join Eurostar at Ebbsfleet. Mr. Tom Harris: The arrangement between Southeastern and Eurostar, announced on 8 June, whereby passengers can use services from any Southeastern station to connect with Eurostar trains at Ashford or Ebbsfleet is a commercial agreement between the two companies. There is no additional call on subsidy as a result of this arrangement. Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made an estimate of the expected change in the (a) passenger miles and (b) carbon footprint which will result from passengers having to join Eurostar for Brussels at Ebbsfleet rather than at Ashford. Mr. Tom Harris: No estimate has been made to date, but this information has been requested from Eurostar following a meeting I had with MPs local to Ashford on 11 June 2007. I will write to the hon. Gentleman to confirm the response from Eurostar in due course. Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the reduction in journey time from London to Ramsgate via Ashford that he expects to follow the introduction of fast link trains on domestic routes. Mr. Tom Harris: The journey time from St. Pancras to Ramsgate via Ashford using the new high-speed service is expected to be one hour 25 minutes, compared with one hour 45 minutes currently from London Bridge. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the availability of ticket machines at unstaffed stations; (2) what performance targets train operating companies are set on ticket sales at stations; (3) what recent discussions he has had with the rail industry on the sale of tickets at stations. Mr. Tom Harris: The Secretary of State has made no assessment of ticket machines at unstaffed stations, as ticket selling is the responsibility of the relevant train operator. At staffed stations, operators are obliged through their passenger licence and franchise agreement to use reasonable endeavours to limit ticket office queuing times to three minutes at off-peak times and five minutes at peak times. The Secretary of State has had no discussions about changing this obligation, but has discussed how new technology such as smartcards, print-at-home tickets or tickets sent directly to mobile phones might be used to avoid the need to queue at ticket offices at all. Several operators are already trialling such tickets. Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the financial details of the procurement process for the Scotrail franchise were made available by the Scottish Rail Authority to the (a) Scottish Executive and (b) Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority, during the refranchising process. Mr. Tom Harris: The Strategic Rail Authority undertook the replacement of the ScotRail franchise on behalf of the Scottish Executive. The SRA's processes incorporated the provision of information to and consultation with both the Scottish Executive and Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority during the franchising process. Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the final costs were of the tendering process for the current Scotrail franchise; and on which date the figure was reached for the final cost of the tendering process for the current franchise. Mr. Tom Harris: The ScotRail franchise was re-let by the Strategic Rail Authority on behalf of the Scottish Executive, at a cost to the Authority of Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/6142 Written by Lee on Saturday, 7th July 2007 Answers : Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 25 June to Question 145649, on fast link trains, what the anticipated frequency is of the one hour and 25 minute fast trains from St. Pancras to Ramsgate; and on what date this service is likely to commence. Mr. Tom Harris: It is anticipated that the fast services from St. Pancras to Ramsgate will operate on a one train per hour frequency during the main part of the day, seven days a week. These services are scheduled to be introduced from 13 December 2009. Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what date she expects the Channel Tunnel to reach full capacity for (a) freight and (b) passengers. Mr. Tom Harris: The Department currently holds no forecasts on this matter. Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evaluation her Department has made of the (a) punctuality and (b) reliability of trains operated by Great Western between London and South Wales. Mr. Tom Harris: Improving rail performance is a key objective for the Department for Transport. Joint action plans are in place between Network Rail and First Great Western to address performance issues. Additionally, FIRST Great Western has implemented a 40-point Recovery plan. These are monitored monthly. In the year to 31 March 2007 First Great Western achieved an average punctuality of 83.2 per cent. across the franchise as a whole. Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the standard of Great Western Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/6183 Written by Lee on Monday, 9th July 2007 [quote author=Lee link=topic=813.msg6142#msg6142 date=1183816161]David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to support improvements in the Felixstowe to Nuneaton railway line before the final deadline for proposals for Trans-European Transport Network funding on 20th July. David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with interested parties on proposals to improve the Felixstowe to Nuneaton railway line.[/quote] The DfT will not be backing the European funding bid (link below.) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/6280092.stm Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/6293 Written by Lee on Saturday, 14th July 2007 Answers : Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations her Department has received on the train services operated by Great Western between London and south Wales. Mr. Tom Harris: Department for Transport has received approximately 30 letters and e-mails on First Great Western rail services between London and south Wales since January 2007. Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the terms of South West Trains Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/6421 Written by Lee on Saturday, 21st July 2007 Answers : Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what incentives she has considered to encourage staff in her Department to use public transport. Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has for several years made available for full and part time permanent staff, who have been Civil Servants for a full three months, season ticket advances to assist in the cost of their journey to work by public transport. All such loans are interest free and provided they do not exceed Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/6422 Written by Lee on Saturday, 21st July 2007 Questions : Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to terminate the franchise held by First Great Western; and if she will make a statement. Mr Robert Syms (Poole):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to increase capacity on commuter trains between Poole and London, measured by (a) new carriages and (b) passenger numbers; and when the new capacity will be rolled out. Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential of the proposed Severn Barrage to provide a new rail link from South Wales to London and the South East; and if she will make a statement. Chris Huhne (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the (a) safety and (b) security of (i) trains, (ii) aircraft and (iii) road freight transporting radioactive material; and with whom responsibility lies for conducting the risk assessment for such trains. Chris Huhne (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times nuclear flasks were shipped from (a) Torness, Hunterston and Hartlepool power stations and (b) Bradwell, Sizewell and Dungeness power stations to Sellafield in each of the last five years. Chris Huhne (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether radioactive materials may legally be transported (a) on passenger ferries and (b) through the Channel Tunnel. Chris Huhne (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents there were involving the transportation of radioactive material by (a) air, (b) road, (c) rail and (d) ship in each year since 1977. Susan Kramer (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will list the (a) technical and financial contracts, (b) technical consultants used on a call-off basis and (c) financial consultants used on a call-off basis by the Office of the Rail Regulator since November 2005; what the nature was of the assignment for each consultant; and what the value was of work done by each consultant. Susan Kramer (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) incidents of and (b) prosecutions there were for (i) vandalism, (ii) informed vandalism and (iii) trespass on rail lines in each year since 2001-02. Susan Kramer (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of railway stations in each region were accredited under the Secure Stations Scheme in each year since 1998. Susan Kramer (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many incidences of arson on the railways there were in each year since 2000, broken down by (a) train operating company and (b) line. Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the public financial liabilities which may arise from Metronet going into administration. Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to the Oral Answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield of 17th July 2007, Official Report, columns 146-7, on Birmingham New Street, what further clarification of the further information is required from partners putting forward the redevelopment case for New Street Station; and if she will make a statement. Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the proposals to build a railway station at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry; what discussions she has had with Coventry City Council on the proposals; and what estimate she has made of the cost of the establishment of such a station. Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/6561 Written by Lee on Saturday, 28th July 2007 Answers : Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make it her policy to terminate the franchise held by First Great Western; and if she will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: First Great Western is not currently in breach of either the punctuality or reliability benchmarks specified in the Franchise Agreement. Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate her Department has made of the public financial liabilities which may arise from Metronet going into administration. Ms Rosie Winterton: Transport for London and London Underground are in discussions with PPP administrators to identify the best long term financial outcome resulting from the administration of Metronet Re: More Upcoming PWQ's Continued.... - 813/6616 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 1st August 2007 [quote author=Lee link=topic=813.msg6561#msg6561 date=1185623124]Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make it her policy to terminate the franchise held by First Great Western; and if she will make a statement. Mr. Tom Harris: First Great Western is not currently in breach of either the punctuality or reliability benchmarks specified in the Franchise Agreement.[/quote] Mid Worcestershire MP Peter Luff has slammed First Great Western's rail services and is calling for the government to scrap the 'farcical' franchise and bring in a more competent company to control the line between Worcester and London (link below.) http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/07/remove_firsts_rail_franchise_m.html#more Mr Luff challenged Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State for Transport , in the House of Commons and urged her to put pressure on First Great Western to improve its abysmal' level of service. Kelly responded by offering assurances that an improvement strategy is in place. Mr Luff said: "The floods will have made First Great Western's job even harder, but they can't blame the weather for the appalling state of service in recent months." "Until we see these improvements, all assurances, whether from the Secretary of State or First Great Western, are meaningless." "The service has become almost farcical. It is time to put passengers first and ensure we get the rail service we deserve from a company with the abilities to deliver it," he added. The Tory MP has also been addressing the continuing delay to the proposed disability ramp at Evesham station. At a meeting at the Commons recently , Mr Luff was told the project had been delayed after engineers discovered soil conditions were unsuitable for the original designs. This means going back to the drawing board at as estimated additional cost of link to index of articles |
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Save the Train was the campaign to bring an approriate train service back to and through Melksham. Most big contributors are still around writing at the Coffee shop forum where new members are very welcome. The train has been saved - sort of - we have stepped back up from an unusable service to a poorish one but it's doing very well. We did that through setting up the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership. That fulfilled its early objectives; it has been taken over by local and regional government types who are now doing medium and long term work. The team from this forun can also be found at the Melksham Rail User Group (which was the Melksham Rail Development Group at the time these articles were written and we had no users. We mustn't loose sight, though, that the train service remains poor and needs our community support in marketing and campaigning to keep it going in a positive direction ... and all the more so when we're expecting to find a different normallity once we get out of the Coronavirus Pandemic and head for zero carbon via the climate crisis. Yes, it's saved ... it's now a key community facility ... the need for enhancement and the strong and near-universal local support remain, and the rail industry and goverment remain slow to move and provide the enhancements even to level us up with other towns. Please support the Melksham Rail User Group - now very much in partnership rather than protest with the rail industry and local government, including GWR, TransWilts and unitary and town councils. And please use the trains and buses, and cycle and walk when you can. -- Graham Ellis, (webmaster), February 2021 | |||
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