Great Western Main Line

Mr. Chalk highlights improvements in his constituency, including a covered walkway, new waiting rooms, an accessible station footbridge with lifts, and additional car parking facilities.

Mackrory acknowledged the improvements made to Cornwall's rail network since 2019, including a half-hourly service between Plymouth and Penzance which has boosted passenger numbers. She highlighted the Night Riviera Sleeper service and its popularity for commuting to London. Mackrory also mentioned the £50 million levelling-up funding for the Mid Cornwall Metro project, expected to start in 2025-26.

Welcomed the government's £5 billion investment in the Great Western route, noting that train cancellations have reached their highest level since records began 12 years ago. Highlighted issues such as flooding, signalling problems and delays caused by trains waiting at Reading station. Emphasised the importance of ticket office staff for elderly and those with additional needs.

Jonathan Edwards inquired whether scrapping HS2's northern leg would free up capital money for electrification to Swansea, Carmarthen, and further west in Wales.

Ms Baillie highlighted several local railway projects in Stroud, including the reopening of the Bristol Road Stonehouse line and improving step-free access at Stroud station. She also discussed improvements needed for the Cam and Dursley station, such as better shelters and increased service frequency. Ms Baillie commended GWR and Network Rail for their responsiveness and raised concerns about the prohibitive cost of rail fares from Stroud to London compared to other lines.

The Government's programme is failing to recognise the impact on organisations and passengers are being driven away due to unreliability and high costs. There were four incidents of damaged rail within eight days in November, raising concerns about the current state of the infrastructure.

Steve Double highlighted the importance of the Great Western main line to Cornwall, noting recent investment but also ongoing issues with reliability. He praised the half-hourly train service between Plymouth and Penzance and the Night Riviera Sleeper service, which is vital for the Cornish economy. He mentioned constituents' desire for improved mobile and wi-fi signals on trains. Double also discussed the Mid Cornwall Metro project, which aims to connect major towns in central Cornwall via rail, benefiting around 50% of economic activity there. He called on the Minister to expedite final funding approval so that work can commence next month with a target completion date of 2025.

Congratulates Valerie Vaz on securing the debate and highlights constituents' anger over reduced fast trains to Slough, a significant business hub. Calls for more fast trains to benefit local economies and urges the government to build the western rail link to Heathrow as its top infrastructure priority.

Theresa May highlighted significant improvements in railway services when companies are private, but expressed disappointment with recent issues faced by her constituents. She listed numerous disruptions and cancellations experienced on the Great Western Main Line due to various technical failures and maintenance works since December 2023. She called for better support from Network Rail to ensure reliable service.

Emphasised the importance of green transport for meeting net zero targets, highlighting issues with rail performance and fare increases. Criticised GWR's service quality and called for simpler ticketing systems and faster railway electrification.