Ministerial statement on Wednesday, 29 November 2017, in the House of Commons, led by Lord Grayling.

Rail Update

Statement on the plans for Britain's railways.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 632 cc338-360
Session: 2017-19
Department: Department for Transport
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Related items: Connecting people: a strategic vision for rail
Wednesday, 29 November 2017
Command papers
House of Lords
House of Commons
Proceeding contributions: Lord Grayling | 632 cc339-342 (Link to this contribution)
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement about our plans for Britain’s railw...; Andy McDonald | 632 cc342-3 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Secretary of State for advance notice of his statement, the contents of which have al...; Lord Grayling | 632 cc343-4 (Link to this contribution)
Fortunately, this country will be waiting a long time for that to happen. What Labour Members rea...; Iain Stewart | 632 c344 (Link to this contribution)
I warmly welcome the commitment in the strategy document to the east-west railway line through my...; Lord Grayling | 632 c344 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is right that this is an important project. We have been pushing ahead hard with t...; Alan Brown | 632 cc344-5 (Link to this contribution)
I, too, thank the Secretary of State for early sight of his statement. Unfortunately, I am having...; Lord Grayling | 632 c345 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman has asked a mix of questions; let me take them in turn. On devolution, it rema...; Tim Loughton | 632 c345 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the news that the GTR franchise is to be broken up. It is too big to be managed and has...; Lord Grayling | 632 c346 (Link to this contribution)
The real thing we have to achieve is to get through the rest of the Thameslink investment program...; Lilian Greenwood | 632 c346 (Link to this contribution)
Alliancing and joint teams can improve dialogue between Network Rail and operators, but that is n...; Lord Grayling | 632 c346 (Link to this contribution)
We are already, in the alliance areas and, indeed, elsewhere, moving to aligned performance incen...; Steve Double | 632 c346 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement, this Government’s continued investment in our railw...; Lord Grayling | 632 c346 (Link to this contribution)
First, let me be clear: I do not envisage a Devon and Cornwall-only franchise. That is not part o...; Ed Davey | 632 c347 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome today’s big message that our railways work better when track and train are operated tog...; Lord Grayling | 632 c347 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his support for bringing back together the operatio...; Martin Vickers | 632 c347 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement. He mentioned smaller railway operators. Will he cla...; Lord Grayling | 632 c347 (Link to this contribution)
I am a strong supporter of open access, which plays an important part in the railways. The east c...; Ronnie Campbell | 632 c347 (Link to this contribution)
The east coast main line was run for many years by a not-for-profit company and it made a profit ...; Lord Grayling | 632 c347 (Link to this contribution)
I will do my very best to make sure that the hon. Gentleman will not have to wait that long. Ther...; Ronnie Campbell | 632 c347 (Link to this contribution)
When?; Lord Grayling | 632 c347 (Link to this contribution)
We are going to press ahead with it in the immediate future and look at what will not happen. I a...; Mims Davies | 632 c347 (Link to this contribution)
Eastleigh is a historic railway town, and transport issues really matter in my thriving but getti...; Lord Grayling | 632 c348 (Link to this contribution)
I give my hon. Friend that assurance. It is really important that, as we seek to develop more hou...; Ben Bradshaw | 632 c348 (Link to this contribution)
I echo the concerns expressed by the hon. Member for St Austell and Newquay (Steve Double) about ...; Lord Grayling | 632 c348 (Link to this contribution)
The answer is that at this stage we have not yet reached final arrangements. My intention is not ...; James Cartlidge | 632 c348 (Link to this contribution)
I very much welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. I totally support greater unification of tr...; Lord Grayling | 632 c348 (Link to this contribution)
I can absolutely give my hon. Friend that assurance. I think that this approach should spread acr...; Dennis Skinner | 632 c349 (Link to this contribution)
Why did the Secretary of State not use this opportunity to say that there would be electrificatio...; Lord Grayling | 632 c349 (Link to this contribution)
On the hon. Gentleman’s latter point, my hon. Friend the Rail Minister has already extended an in...; Amanda Milling | 632 c349 (Link to this contribution)
I, too, welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. What steps are being taken to improve stations,...; Lord Grayling | 632 c349 (Link to this contribution)
I absolutely share my hon. Friend’s concern. Indeed, my hon. Friend the Rail Minister has made im...; Drew Hendry | 632 c349 (Link to this contribution)
It is a year and a half since the then Under-Secretary of State responded to our calls to look at...; Lord Grayling | 632 c349 (Link to this contribution)
I am happy to take forward those discussions with the Scottish Government. Indeed, my hon. Friend...; Bob Seely | 632 c349 (Link to this contribution)
Is my right hon. Friend aware that on the Isle of Wight there might be interest in extending the ...; Lord Grayling | 632 c350 (Link to this contribution)
In the new year we will publish a new process for evaluating new projects and moving them into de...; Rachel Reeves | 632 c350 (Link to this contribution)
I have written to the Secretary of State about Kirkstall Forge railway station in my constituency...; Lord Grayling | 632 c350 (Link to this contribution)
I am happy to have that conversation. When a new station opens, it is not unusual for it to start...; Kevin Foster | 632 c350 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the overall thrust of this plan. As the Secretary of State will know, it is probably no...; Lord Grayling | 632 c350 (Link to this contribution)
I can absolutely assure my hon. Friend that we want to see those services protected. Again, this ...; Chris Elmore | 632 c350 (Link to this contribution)
The Secretary of State’s U-turn on his promise to electrify the line from Cardiff to Swansea incl...; Lord Grayling | 632 c350 (Link to this contribution)
Safety remains fundamentally important for Network Rail. We are fortunate enough to have the safe...; Maria Caulfield | 632 c351 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the announcement that the southern and Thameslink franchise will be broken up—it cannot...; Lord Grayling | 632 c351 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend knows that I have met the investors who are interested in pursuing that project, a...; Jessica Morden | 632 c351 (Link to this contribution)
There was little mention of Wales in the Secretary of State’s letter to hon. Members on the great...; Lord Grayling | 632 c351 (Link to this contribution)
Of course, much of the responsibility for local services in the hon. Lady’s constituency lies wit...; Peter Aldous | 632 c351 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Secretary of State for his statement. The east Suffolk line, which runs from Lowestof...; Lord Grayling | 632 c351 (Link to this contribution)
One of the things I am pleased we are doing in partnership with the private sector is the complet...; Paul Flynn | 632 c352 (Link to this contribution)
I am struck by the contrast between, on the one hand, the strength and wisdom of the best Select ...; Lord Grayling | 632 c352 (Link to this contribution)
There is nothing like trying to shoehorn every issue into one question, is there? The simple real...; Philip Hollobone | 632 c352 (Link to this contribution)
The last Labour Government halved the mainline northbound service from Kettering from a half-hour...; Lord Grayling | 632 c352 (Link to this contribution)
Kettering is a fine town and a well represented constituency, and I can absolutely understand the...; Lord Hanson of Flint | 632 c352 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor of the Exchequer mentioned in the Budget last week the north Wales growth deal, wh...; Lord Grayling | 632 c352 (Link to this contribution)
Actually, it was my suggestion that we look at the project. I have listened to the right hon. Gen...; Will Quince | 632 c353 (Link to this contribution)
Building alliances and closer working between Network Rail and train operating companies into fra...; Lord Grayling | 632 c353 (Link to this contribution)
On the latter point, they can be now—there is nothing to prevent train companies from coming forw...; Rosie Cooper | 632 c353 (Link to this contribution)
My constituents will be listening with avid interest, because prior to the general election, the ...; Lord Grayling | 632 c353 (Link to this contribution)
Of course, the people of West Lancashire will be getting the benefit of the investment programme ...; Jo Churchill | 632 c353 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement and the focus on passengers in particular. He will k...; Lord Grayling | 632 c353 (Link to this contribution)
I can certainly give my hon. Friend that assurance and reiterate the commitment I have given to p...; Clive Efford | 632 c354 (Link to this contribution)
My constituents are used to travelling on trains where there is a link between those who run the ...; Lord Grayling | 632 c354 (Link to this contribution)
I would make two points. First, Transport for London does not run the track and the trains. The t...; Liz McInnes | 632 c354 (Link to this contribution)
What talks has the Secretary of State had with the Northern Powerhouse Minister about the upgradi...; Lord Grayling | 632 c354 (Link to this contribution)
Absolutely. The key point about the trans-Pennine upgrade is that we have already electrified it ...; Peter Heaton-Jones | 632 c354 (Link to this contribution)
I warmly welcome the announcement today of a consultation on the great western franchise and the ...; Lord Grayling | 632 c354 (Link to this contribution)
It certainly is, and I do not want that service to be diminished in any way. My hon. Friend will ...; Lord Coaker | 632 c354 (Link to this contribution)
Will the Secretary of State tell us why he is not electrifying the midland main line even though ...; Lord Grayling | 632 c355 (Link to this contribution)
The answer to that is very simple. Over the next four years, we will deliver the biggest upgrades...; Huw Merriman | 632 c355 (Link to this contribution)
On my own behalf and that of my neighbour and right hon. Friend the Member for Hastings and Rye (...; Lord Grayling | 632 c355 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We get caught up in the biggest projects, but sometimes the s...; Lord Walney | 632 c355 (Link to this contribution)
As the Secretary of State will know, the Cumbria coastline and the Furness line are giving a dire...; Lord Grayling | 632 c355 (Link to this contribution)
I am delighted to be able to remind the hon. Gentleman that we are scrapping all those trains on ...; Lucy Frazer | 632 c356 (Link to this contribution)
I noted, both in the rail strategy—which I welcome—and in the Secretary of State’s reply to my ho...; Lord Grayling | 632 c356 (Link to this contribution)
Our aim is always to minimise the impact of improvement works as they are happening, and also the...; Kate Green | 632 c356 (Link to this contribution)
I noted what the Secretary of State said about compensation for passengers when things go wrong. ...; Lord Grayling | 632 c356 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend the Rail Minister and I are working to create a passenger ombudsman, because we re...; Kelly Tolhurst | 632 c356 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my right hon. Friend for the statement, and particularly for what he said about the south...; Lord Grayling | 632 c356 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The high-speed trains to St Pancras are pretty full at peak t...; Nick Thomas-Symonds | 632 c356 (Link to this contribution)
In 2014, the last Tory Prime Minister described electrification of the great western main line ac...; Lord Grayling | 632 c356 (Link to this contribution)
The answer is that we are delivering much faster connections to south Wales. The huge investment ...; Diana Johnson | 632 c357 (Link to this contribution)
I was disappointed that the Secretary of State did not attend the debate on transport in the nort...; Lord Grayling | 632 c357 (Link to this contribution)
Those two projects will happen in lockstep. They are both important, they are both going to happe...; Chris Bryant | 632 c357 (Link to this contribution)
The journey from Paddington to Cardiff is regularly a version of hell. Trains are frequently canc...; Lord Grayling | 632 c357 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman will be delighted to see the arrival of the new Hitachi intercity express trai...; Ian Lucas | 632 c357 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Secretary of State for helping to secure extra money for north Wales in the Budget, b...; Lord Grayling | 632 c357 (Link to this contribution)
I know that the hon. Gentleman is after not just the hors d’oeuvre but a second course. That seco...; Grahame Morris | 632 c357 (Link to this contribution)
I give the Transport Secretary credit for acknowledging the failure on at least two occasions of ...; Lord Grayling | 632 c358 (Link to this contribution)
There is a curious conundrum in this. We hear so much uncertainty from Labour about what they thi...; Paula Sherriff | 632 c358 (Link to this contribution)
I wrote to the Secretary of State on 23 October and eagerly await his response. My constituents a...; Lord Grayling | 632 c358 (Link to this contribution)
The good thing from the hon. Lady’s point of view is that, although she is right that her constit...; Gavin Shuker | 632 c358 (Link to this contribution)
I have read the Secretary of State’s document published today and was perplexed that there is no ...; Lord Grayling | 632 c358 (Link to this contribution)
I can only say that I will be very happy to see an employee-owned bid come forward. There is no b...; Ben Lake | 632 c358 (Link to this contribution)
Every line that could be reopened, as outlined in the Secretary of State’s strategic rail vision,...; Lord Grayling | 632 c359 (Link to this contribution)
We have a clear responsibility for Welsh infrastructure, and I want it to improve in a way that p...; Jo Platt | 632 c359 (Link to this contribution)
The Secretary of State will be aware from my communications of the importance of rail connectivit...; Lord Grayling | 632 c359 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Lady makes a good point, and of course I want significant towns to be well served by the...; Darren Jones | 632 c359 (Link to this contribution)
My constituency is on the brink of daily gridlock due to welcome but significant developments in ...; Lord Grayling | 632 c360 (Link to this contribution)
I spoke to the metro Mayor this morning about this and the investments we need, and also about No...; Baroness Laing of Elderslie | 632 c360 (Link to this contribution)
The prize for patience and perseverance goes to Luke Pollard.; Luke Pollard | 632 c360 (Link to this contribution)
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Fragmentation of the great western franchise risks locking...; Lord Grayling | 632 c360 (Link to this contribution)
I reiterate my point that this is a consultation, and I want views from all sides. We will make a...
Subjects: Compensation Finance Infrastructure Franchises East Coast main line Public consultation Railways Network Rail Standards Timetables Train operating companies Tickets Rolling stock South Eastern rail franchise Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern rail franchise East Coast rail franchise Great Western rail franchise
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on hansard.parliament.uk

Rail Update

Secondary information

Librarians' tools