Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Railway Modernisation

Thursday 19 January 2023 · 5 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial statements acknowledged the need for railway modernisation due to post-covid challenges and financial pressures.
  • The level of railway services is under constant review by both the Department and operators, adjusting as passenger numbers change.
  • Train drivers earn an average salary of about 60,000 with contracted hours at around 35 per week.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 James Sunderland
Transport
Context

Discussion about the urgent need for railway modernization due to challenges such as post-COVID recovery and industrial action.

Question

I agree with my hon. Friend that the railway is in urgent need of modernisation of both its working practices and the way in which it is structured. The lasting consequences of covid-19, industrial action and the financial challenges facing the railway have made the case for reform stronger, and I will shortly set out the next steps for that reform process.

Answer from Mark Harper

The level of services remains constantly under review. As passenger numbers increase, both the Department and the operator can look at that to see whether more needs to be done. On performance, the operator is contracted to deliver our operational performance benchmarks, and it is penalised financially if it delivers below those benchmarks. The Department has a right to request a mitigation plan if it fails to meet those benchmarks consistently.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps or timeline for reform as requested.

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Q2 James Sunderland
Transport
Context

Concern over the high percentage of late trains on South Western Railway between Bracknell and London Waterloo, despite increasing passenger numbers.

Question

The South Western Railway line between Bracknell and London Waterloo is a really important link between Berkshire and London. Even though passenger numbers are now increasing back to pre-pandemic levels, South Western Railway's own figures for November and December last year are that more than 90% of trains ran up to 15 minutes late. It is not acceptable. Will my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State please outline to the House what he is doing alongside South Western Railway to improve the service?

Answer from Mark Harper

The level of services remains constantly under review. As passenger numbers increase, both the Department and the operator can look at that to see whether more needs to be done. On performance, the operator is contracted to deliver our operational performance benchmarks, and it is penalised financially if it delivers below those benchmarks. The Department has a right to request a mitigation plan if it fails to meet those benchmarks consistently.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific actions or timeline for improvement as requested.

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Q3 Stephen Doughty Labour (Co-op) Cardiff South and Penarth
Transport Wales
Context

Announcement of a £50 million bid for rail infrastructure improvements in Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay, involving close cooperation with various government bodies.

Question

I understand the Secretary of State will be in my constituency later today to announce the successful £50 million bid, which I backed alongside Cardiff Council, for improvements to the links between Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay—a crucial missing link in our rail infrastructure. It is obviously very welcome, notwithstanding the wider criticisms of the levelling-up scheme. One of the positive things about the bid is that it involves close working between the UK Government, the Welsh Government, the council and Transport for Wales. Will he assure me that he will work co-operatively with them to get that scheme up and running as quickly as possible, for the benefit of our local community?

Answer from Mark Harper

I am grateful for the positive tone in which the hon. Gentleman has welcomed that announcement. Wales will receive the highest amount of funding per capita from the levelling-up fund under the announcement that has been made today. I am indeed visiting that scheme later today and I will meet officials from the council. I will of course continue to work closely with them to turn the money into effective transport connectivity as soon as we can.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q4 Philip Hollobone Con
Transport
Context

Inquiry about the average salary of train drivers and their contracted working hours.

Question

On average, how much do train drivers get paid and how many contracted hours are they required to do each week?

Answer from Mark Harper

My hon. Friend makes a very good point. I think that about £60,000 is the average salary and the contracted hours are about 35 per week.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q5 Debbie Abrahams Lab Oldham East and Saddleworth
Transport
Context

Concern about the high percentage of train cancellations due to P-codes usage by TransPennine Express, affecting services for constituents.

Question

TransPennine Express has been habitually using P-codes, which are for pre-cancelled trains. This means that trains are cancelled at 10 o'clock the previous night. In conjunction with on-day cancellations, this means that up to a quarter of all services, including for my constituents travelling from Greenfield, are cancelled; and on some days it is nearly half. Will the document that the Secretary of State just mentioned address these long-term issues, which we have had not just for the past year but for many years?

Answer from Mark Harper

There are two issues. The most important is the level of performance. The hon. Lady will know that one of the big issues is the overdependence, particularly on that service, on rest day working.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address if the document would tackle persistent cancellations as requested.

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