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Rail Services: North-East England
04 February 2020
Lead MP
Kevan Jones
Debate Type
Adjournment Debate
Tags
EconomyTaxationTransport
Other Contributors: 4
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.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
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.
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
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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