Railways in Parliament
Why no tilt?
JACK Brereton, the Stoke-onTrent South MP, wanted to know what information the Department of Transport (DfT) holds on any issues identified during the testing of new Hitachi AT300 rolling stock to replace ‘Voyagers’ on Avanti West Coast services, and whether an assessment was made of the potential effect of the lack of tilt mechanism for those trains on maintaining safe operation around bends at speed, journey times and rail timetables. The MP asked why the tender for the rolling stock replacement for ‘Voyagers’ on Avanti West Coast services did not specify the inclusion of a tilt mechanism.
Transport Minister
Huw Merriman said: “The procurement, safety risk assessment, and safe operation of Hitachi
AT300 rolling stock is the responsibility of the operator. When running rolling stock procurements, operators take account of factors such as what products are available to the market, reliability, operating cost, passenger capacity, comfort and environmental performance.
“Network Rail is upgrading infrastructure on parts of the West Coast Main Line to allow higher speed running with non-tilting trains. The Office of Rail and Road is responsible for ensuring the new trains meet rail safety regulatory requirements before they can operate on the main line.
“The DfT is looking forward to the introduction of Avanti West Coast’s new Hitachi rolling stock later this year to replace the current diesel fleet in line with the Department’s goal to run a more sustainable railway, resulting in a 61% cut in carbon emissions, as well as offering more space and a quieter journey for passengers.”
Translink wires study
SOUTH Antrim MP Paul Girvan asked what the DfT’s timescale is for the delivery of a feasibility study on electrifying sections of the Northern Ireland Railway. Mr Merriman replied: “Transport is a ‘transferred matter’, devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive and thus the responsibility of the Executive. However, as outlined by the Secretary of State for Transport in his written ministerial statement of December 7, the UK Government is funding a feasibility study on the electrification of the railway line from Belfast to the border with the Republic of Ireland.
“The study is being conducted by Translink on behalf of the Department for Infrastructure, with a projected completion date of spring 2025.”
Morecambe alternatives
LANCASTER and Fleetwood MP Cat Smith asked the Government to assess the economic impact of electrifying the Lancaster to Morecambe line.
Mr Merriman said: “Electrification, alongside alternative technologies such as hydrogen, battery and bimodes, will play an important role in meeting our Net Zero targets.
“We are working with
Great British Rail’s Transition Team to bring forward options to decarbonise the whole network, including Lancaster to Morecambe, for the Government to carefully consider in terms of overall deliverability and affordability.”
St Clears delayed
CARDIFF Central MP Jo Stevens asked what progress the DfT has made on St Clears station via the Restoring Your Railway Fund.
Mr Merriman replied:
“We have previously made £4.7m available to the
Welsh Government towards reopening a station at St Clears. The Welsh Government has requested that this project is paused, pending a decision on a new hospital’s location.”
Tracking the budget
PORTSMOUTH South MP Stephen Morgan wanted to know how much of the DfT’s budget has been allocated for track renewals in England and Wales in the next five years.
Mr Merriman replied:
“Track renewals are funded by Network Rail from the £44.1 billion provided by the Government to fund Network Rail’s operations, maintenance and renewal activity in Control Period 7 (April 2024 to March 2029). Network Rail plans expenditure of roughly £3.5 billion on track renewals in this Control Period.”
Rising ticket prices
LIVERPOOL Walton MP Dan Carden asked whether an assessment had been made of the potential impact of fare increases on passenger numbers.
Mr Merriman said: “The DfT considers a range of factors when determining rail fare changes, including the impact on passenger demand. The Government intervened to cap regulated fares increases at 4.9%, 4.1 percentage points lower than the July RPI figure on which fare changes are usually based.
“This strikes a balance between offering lower fares to encourage passengers to use our rail network and supporting the industry while it gets back on good financial footing as it continues to deal with a revenue shortfall after the pandemic.”