Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Rail Services: North-East England

04 February 2020 · 4 other contributors

Opened by Kevan Jones Lab Chester-le-Street

Transport

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Kevan Jones raised concerns about rail services: north-east england in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • MP raised concerns about poor rail services and timetables affecting constituents since a December 2019 timetable change.
  • Minister acknowledged unacceptable service level and committed to addressing capacity issues through rolling stock investments.
  • Minister stated Department would take action under franchise agreement terms if necessary and pledged to improve services.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Kevan Jones Lab Chester-le-Street

The MP raised concerns about the poor rail services and timetables affecting constituents of his Chester-le-Street constituency since a timetable change in December 2019. He highlighted issues such as cancelled peak-time trains, reduced service frequency, dirty trains with insufficient carriages, and economic impacts on commuters due to unreliable services. The MP emphasised that if these were south-east England issues, they would receive better attention. He criticised TransPennine Express for their poor performance and lack of passenger care. He suggested the franchise should be taken away from TransPennine as a solution.

Other contributors (4)
  • Mike Hill Lab Hartlepool

    The MP agreed with the lead MP that the rail service to Newcastle is inadequate, running only once an hour with just two carriages. He argued for more resources at well-used stations such as Hartlepool.

  • Jim Shannon Alliance Strangford

    The MP supported the lead MP's argument that reliable public transport is essential for a thriving economy and requires funding and strategic planning.

  • Grahame Morris Lab Easington

    The MP agreed with the lead MP about the poor service in his constituency, highlighting the decline in passenger numbers due to insufficient capacity and inadequate services.

  • Kevin Hollinrake Con Thirsk and Malton

    The MP agreed that there should be a more punitive system of fines for rail operators to ensure on-time service delivery, as the TransPennine service has been extremely poor.

Government Response

Chris Heaton-Harris

The Minister acknowledged the unacceptable level of service provided by TransPennine Express and committed to addressing capacity issues through investments in rolling stock, aiming for an increase of over 80% on a seven-day timetable. TPE has been gradually reintroducing cancelled services since February 2021, including compensation arrangements for delays exceeding 15 minutes. The Minister stated that the Department would take action under franchise agreement terms if necessary and pledged to investigate the handling of compensation claims by TPE customers further. He also committed to reviewing ticket machine issues at Chester-le-Street station and expressed hope for reopening rail lines such as Sunderland-Durham, despite reservations about current projects like HS2.

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