Written questions by Snowden.

Whether her Department plans to (a) cap rail fares and (b) provide targeted concessions to (i) young people, (ii) students, and (iii) people in rural areas disproportionately affected by fare rises.

The Government caps the amount by which regulated fares can increase each year. Regulated fares make up around 45% of rail fares and include commuter fares, such as season ticket and shorter-distance peak singles and returns, alongside longer-distance off-peak singles and returns. Whilst the fares increase cap applies to regulated fares only, train operators have typically adopted a very similar approach for non-regulated fares. Young people and students (as well as senior citizens, disabled people, veterans and other groups) are offered discounted rail fares from existing railcard schemes. Regarding the impact of fares increases on people in rural areas, low income commuters and key workers, any long-term changes to rail fares policy requires balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.

Whether he plans to publish an impact assessment of the increase in most regulated fares on 2 March 2025 on (a) low-income commuters and (b) key workers who rely on rail travel.

The Government caps the amount by which regulated fares can increase each year. Regulated fares make up around 45% of rail fares and include commuter fares, such as season ticket and shorter-distance peak singles and returns, alongside longer-distance off-peak singles and returns. Whilst the fares increase cap applies to regulated fares only, train operators have typically adopted a very similar approach for non-regulated fares. Young people and students (as well as senior citizens, disabled people, veterans and other groups) are offered discounted rail fares from existing railcard schemes. Regarding the impact of fares increases on people in rural areas, low income commuters and key workers, any long-term changes to rail fares policy requires balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.

If she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the guidance entitled EAPC standards and legal requirements, published on 10 December 2024, in relation to preventing the sale of illegally modified electric bikes.

The Department believes that there is no need for such an assessment. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) market surveillance unit inspects vehicles, trailers and equipment to ensure they meet safety and environmental standards. This includes surveillance of the market for Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (EAPCs). The DVSA is empowered to take enforcement action against retailers selling non-compliant EAPCs, including electric bikes which have been modified and not meeting regulatory standards.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 38420 on Railways: Fylde, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of linking fare increases to improvements in (a) service quality and (b) reliability across different regions.

A proportionate, annual increase in fares is necessary to support crucial investment and to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the railway. Regarding performance-based fares increases, any changes to fares policy requires balancing against the potential impacts on passengers and taxpayers. If the rail industry is inadequately funded in the short term it will lack the capacity and performance to deliver long-term ambitions of financial sustainability, modal shift and helping to deliver the UK’s net zero target.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 38420 on Railways: Fylde, what the evidential basis is that the increase in most regulated rail fares announced on 2 March 2025 represented a fair balance between passengers and taxpayers.

A proportionate, annual increase in fares is necessary to support crucial investment and to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the railway. Regarding performance-based fares increases, any changes to fares policy requires balancing against the potential impacts on passengers and taxpayers. If the rail industry is inadequately funded in the short term it will lack the capacity and performance to deliver long-term ambitions of financial sustainability, modal shift and helping to deliver the UK’s net zero target.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 38420 on Railways: Fylde, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the increase in regulated rail fares on 2 March 2025 on revenues; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of this increase in fares on the financial sustainability of the sector.

A proportionate, annual increase in fares is necessary to support crucial investment and to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the railway. Regarding performance-based fares increases, any changes to fares policy requires balancing against the potential impacts on passengers and taxpayers. If the rail industry is inadequately funded in the short term it will lack the capacity and performance to deliver long-term ambitions of financial sustainability, modal shift and helping to deliver the UK’s net zero target.

What steps her Department is taking to help increase the accessibility of transport for people with disabilities in Fylde.

Accessibility and inclusivity are key considerations for the government, especially as we seek to deliver against our key missions, including removing barriers to opportunity and delivering safer streets. The government is committed to making transport safer, more inclusive and accessible to everyone including people who are disabled, to allow them to live healthy lives, making the journeys they want and need. The Department introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December 2024. The Bill will require relevant bus staff to complete both disability awareness and disability assistance training to give them the knowledge, skills and confidence to support every passenger appropriately. It will also require local authorities commissioning the provision of new bus stations and stops or the upgrading of existing ones to pay regard to new stopping place safety and accessibility guidance. The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. Local buses are the most commonly used mode of public transport and the purpose of providing free local bus travel England-wide is to ensure that no older or disabled person in England need be prevented from bus travel by cost alone. The Government wants disabled people to be able to travel easily, confidently, and with dignity, which is why we have worked quickly to put accessibility at the heart of our bus and rail reforms. It is important that government, local authorities and transport operators work together to support services that help people to live their lives the way they want to.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of inflation on the cost of maintaining local roads and highways in Fylde constituency.

The Government takes the condition of the country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local highway authorities across the country in maintaining and renewing the local highway network and tackling the maintenance backlog. The Government has already announced a funding uplift of £500 million for local highway maintenance for the 2025/26 financial year. Lancashire County Council is the local highway authority for the Fylde constituency and has been allocated up to a maximum of £46.8 million for 2025/26 pending successful completion of the incentive measures announced in March 2025. This funding increase is more than enough to cover inflationary price rises. Longer-term funding decisions beyond 2025/26 will be determined at the forthcoming Spending Review.

How much funding has been allocated to road (a) maintenance and (b) investment in (i) Fylde constituency and (ii) Lancashire in 2025–26.

The Government takes the condition of the country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local highway authorities across the country in maintaining and renewing the local highway network and tackling the maintenance backlog. The Government has already announced a funding uplift of £500 million for local highway maintenance for the 2025/26 financial year. Lancashire County Council is the local highway authority for the Fylde constituency and has been allocated up to a maximum of £46.8 million for 2025/26 pending successful completion of the incentive measures announced in March 2025. Funding is not ring-fenced, and it is entirely a matter for Lancashire County Council how it is spent.

What steps she is taking to provide funding for active travel in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The Department for Transport recently announced almost £300 million of funding to boost active travel across England, this includes £222.5 million to local authorities outside of London. In 2024/25, Lancashire County Council received over £1.4 million in capital funding and over £800,000 in revenue funding for active travel and has been allocated over £4.5 million in combined funding for 2025/26. In 2023/24, Lancashire County Council received an additional £736,983 to deliver Bikeability cycle training. It is for local authorities to decide on where to prioritise investment in their local transport networks. In 2024, Lancashire County Council published seven Local Walking and Cycling Investment Plans (LCWIPs), including one for Fylde Coast. LCWIPs help local authorities to make a strong case for future investment in active travel infrastructure.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support people to use electric vehicles in Fylde constituency.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable and accessible charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle. As of March 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 75,305 publicly available charging devices, up 32% on this time last year. Lancashire County Council, which includes Fylde constituency, have been allocated over £10.8m capital and resource funding through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to increase the number of local public chargepoints across the area. In total, the £381m LEVI Fund will support the installation of at least 100,000 local chargepoints across England.

What steps she is taking to help reduce the cost of rail services in Fylde constituency.

Most regulated rail fares increased by 4.6 per cent on 2 March 2025. This was the lowest absolute increase in three years and delivers a fair balance between taxpayers and passengers. This increase will support the Government’s long-term plans to achieve financial sustainability of the railway. Whilst it is our ambition through railway reform to deliver a more affordable railway, any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy require balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Bus Services Bill on passengers with disabilities in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The Government is committed to improving public transport services so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. The Bus Services (No.2) Bill, which was introduced on 17 December, will give local leaders the freedom to take decisions to deliver their local transport priorities and ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including for disabled people. The Bill includes measures to make the design of bus and coach stations and stops more inclusive, and sets requirements for training for staff on disability-assistance and disability-awareness to ensure bus drivers and staff dealing directly with the travelling public are better informed of the rights and needs of disabled passengers. In addition to this, the Government announced in the budget that we will be investing over £1 billion to support and improve bus services. Lancashire County Council has been allocated over £27 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services. This funding can be used to improve services for passengers in whichever way they wish, including to improve access for disabled people.

What steps she is taking to improve road infrastructure in Fylde constituency.

In 2024 National Highways completed the £162m Windy Harbour to Skippool off-line bypass around the village of Little Singleton, removing a major bottleneck on the A585 into Fleetwood. Other routes serving the region, such as the M55 have been considered as part of National Highways South Pennines Route Strategy, and this will form the evidence base for future investment planning decisions for the strategic road network in the region. Investment on the local road network in the region is the responsibility of Lancashire County Council, who will benefit from their share of an extra £500 million for highways maintenance during 2025/26 as announced at the Autumn Budget.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 36175, what conclusions were drawn from the minister's meeting with AWC and Network Rail.

The Rail Minister discussed Avanti West Coast (AWC) and Network Rail’s (NR) joint performance plans, including actions such as substantial driver recruitment and training on the new Evero fleet, timetable step ups and NRs first 60 miles plan.AWC's cancellation score has improved by an average of 4.4 percentage points year-on-year between October and December 2024. However, the Minister was clear that this is still not good enough and further improvements are required.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 36175, what steps she is taking to improve the Network Rail infrastructure reliability.

Network Rail manages the UK’s railway infrastructure, and the Office of Rail and Roal (ORR) oversees delivery. Government has committed to continue record levels of investment, providing £44.1bn across the five-year control period spanning 2019 to 2024.This funding settlement is determined through a Periodic Review process led by the ORR. The last Periodic Review concluded in March 2024. The objectives for this control period include maintaining and improving rail infrastructure assets to help support a more reliable railway for passengers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 36175 on Avanti West Coast: Standards, what conclusions were drawn from the minister's meeting with Avanti West Coast.

The Rail Minister discussed Avanti West Coast (AWC) and Network Rail’s (NR) joint performance plans, including actions such as substantial driver recruitment and training on the new Evero fleet, timetable step ups and NRs first 60 miles plan.AWC's cancellation score has improved by an average of 4.4 percentage points year-on-year between October and December 2024. However, the Minister was clear that this is still not good enough and further improvements are required.

What discussions she has had with Avanti West Coast services on the number of delays between London Euston and Preston.

The Secretary of State met Avanti West Coast (AWC) in January to discuss plans to address industrial action. The Rail Minister also met AWC and Network Rail bosses in January to challenge poor performance and demand immediate action to deliver urgent improvements. While the performance of AWC is improving, it is still not good enough, with too many cancellations and delays. Poor Network Rail infrastructure reliability has also contributed significantly to the disruption felt by passengers.

What steps she is taking to communicate upcoming service cancellations on the West Coast Mainline to (a) passengers and (b) potential passengers.

The department expects train operators and Network Rail to communicate service changes to passengers in a timely and accessible way to minimise disruption to their journeys.

What steps she is taking to ensure reliable Sunday services on Northern Rail train services in Fylde constituency.

The Rail North Partnership, through which the department and Transport for the North manages Northern’s contract, required the operator to produce a detailed improvement plan. The plan includes: introducing a temporary reduced timetable on Sundays in the North West, with more bus support and ticket acceptance;resolving the Sunday arrangements with conductors to deliver a customer-focussed seven-day railway;focussing on fleet, traincrew deployment and strengthening resources in engineering, control and operations; anddeveloping a fit-for-purpose structure, including improving governance and processes across the business to improve sickness management. Northern is in regular discussions with its staff and the unions and ministers are monitoring this progress closely.