Written questions by Stephenson.

If she will hold discussions with local leaders in Bedfordshire on the effectiveness of (a) rules relating to on-street parking and (b) the enforcement of those rules near train stations on the (a) Thameslink line and (b) Marston Vale line in the context of increased visitors to the Universal Bedfordshire project.

Responsibility for implementing parking restrictions rests with the appropriate local authority, as they are best placed to consider how to balance the needs of residents, emergency services, local business and those who work in and visit the area. Central Bedfordshire Council has civil parking enforcement powers to deal with any contraventions of their parking restrictions.

If she will hold discussions with local leaders in Bedfordshire on the adequacy of bus capacity in the context of increased visitors to the Universal Bedfordshire project.

The Department for Transport will work with local authorities and bus operators to ensure that bus services reflect the needs of the local communities that rely on them. We believe local leaders know their areas best and so are best placed to make decisions about their bus networks. The Government is working towards delivering a major investment in infrastructure around the Universal site to support the delivery of the project and ensure it is well connected and easily accessible. Further details will be set out in due course.

What proportion of her Department's funding for bus service improvements will be spent in Bedfordshire.

The Department for Transport has allocated £670 million to local transport authorities in 25/26 to support the delivery of Bus Service Improvement Plans as part of a more than £1 billion investment in buses confirmed at the Budget. Local transport authorities in Bedfordshire, consisting of Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and Luton Borough Council, have collectively been allocated £11.4 million of this funding.

Whether she plans to provide additional funding to Bedfordshire’s road network to manage increased traffic from the planned Universal Studios theme park.

As part of the Plan for Change, the government is working towards delivering a major investment in infrastructure around the site to support the delivery of the project and ensure it is well connected and easily accessible. The details of negotiations between private investors and the Government are currently confidential. Further information on plans for infrastructure investment around the site will be set out in due course.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding available to Highways England for the maintenance of flood resilience infrastructure.

National Highways undertakes flood resilience work on England’s motorways and trunk A roads through a combination of ongoing maintenance and renewals activity that extends the life of, or replaces, existing roads and structures. The Department has set the budgets for the financial year 2025/26 as part of the Autumn Budget 2024. This allocated £1.455 billion to operations and maintenance, and a further £1.951 billion to renewals as part of a wider £4.842 billion interim settlement for National Highways. Funding beyond this financial year will be confirmed through the ongoing Spending Review which is due to complete in late Spring 2025.

What capital funding will be made available to (a) Network Rail and (b) Great British Railways for Access for All schemes in each of the next five years.

In December, the Chancellor launched the second stage of the Spending Review. This is a zero-based Spending Review, to ensure every line of spending – including the Access for All programme and wider transport infrastructure portfolio – delivers the Plan for Change and provides good value for taxpayers.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the planned Universal Studios theme park on passenger numbers on (a) East-West Rail and (b) Thameslink services.

Expected demand for the Universal Studios theme park is being analysed by East West Rail Co. and Network Rail as part of the Outline Business Case for East West Rail, to ensure the right infrastructure is delivered. East West Rail Co. and Network Rail will be asked by the Department for Transport to analyse the capacity and performance of the Thameslink and Midland Main Line route to make best use of capacity.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of Great British Railways providing direct shuttle services for Universal Studios visitors between Luton Airport and Wixams station.

The service pattern for the Midland Main Line will be decided by Great British Railways in advance of the Universal Studios theme park opening in 2031. The Department for Transport will additionally ask Network Rail to analyse the capacity and performance of the route to make best use of capacity.

With reference to the press release entitled PM tells councils to prove action on pothole plague to unlock extra cash and reveals £4.8 billion for major roads, published on 23 March 2025, whether her Department has made an estimate of the potential cost of publishing details by local authorities.

The additional costs to local highway authorities of complying with the Department’s new reporting requirements are likely to be minimal. The Department has made clear that it is looking for short reports in plain English, to be published on authorities’ websites, and it has provided templates for these to make the task simpler. It is only right that local highway authorities should be held to account in this way for their use of the £500 million of additional highway maintenance funding in the current financial year.

With reference to the press notice entitled PM tells councils to prove action on pothole plague to unlock extra cash and reveals £4.8 billion for major roads, published on 23 March 2025, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing information on councils' progress in mending potholes centrally.

In the first instance it will be up to local highway authorities to publish their progress reports on their own websites, as set out in the Department’s letter of 24 March to local authority chief executive officers which is available on gov.uk. The Department will review authorities’ reports and determine in due course what information to publish centrally.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the (a) Digswell Viaduct and (b) Welwyn North Station on levels of capacity on the East Coast Main Line.

An assessment of the impact of Digswell Viaduct and Welwyn North Station on capacity levels on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) was completed by Network Rail whilst developing the timetable that will be introduced on the ECML in December 2025. The Minister has approved this timetable for implementation, following an industry taskforce recommendation to do so, to enable the full benefits of a £4 billion investment in the route.

What steps her Department plans to take with Great British Railways to reduce levels of disruption on railways.

GBR will be a directing mind, running the railways as one system, with a relentless focus on passengers. Track and train will be unified, creating a more efficient and reliable system meeting passenger and freight customers’ needs and ensuring value for the taxpayer.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 35856 on Railways: Standards, which stations in (a) England and (b) Bedfordshire are most impacted by cancelling stops to make services run faster; and on how many weekdays in 2024-25 one or more cancellations have happened at each of those stations.

Data on cancellations is published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on their data portal which can be accessed here: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/Data showing the punctuality of trains at individual stations across England is available for the first time ever on a periodic basis. The statistics cover over 1,700 stations and also show reliability of services. This service can be accessed here: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/performance-at-stations The available data identifies specific stations, but it does not provide cancellation reasons nor on which days cancellations occurred.Cancellations can be frustrating to passengers, especially when made at short notice. The department expects train operators to recover services as quickly as possible and minimize impact upon passengers. Ministers are meeting with managing directors of Train Operating Companies and Network Rail to address poor performance and demand immediate action to raise standards.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 35855 on Govia Thameslink Railway: Standards, what information her Department holds on when Great British Railways plans to publish provisional (a) timetables and (b) capacity improvement plans for services on the Bedford line.

The Government will establish a new access and charging framework in primary legislation, enabling Great British Railways to be a true directing mind for the railway. We will simplify the operational running of the railways by bringing together responsibility for managing allocation of railway capacity and timetabling with the management of infrastructure. Legislation will be introduced later this session to make these vital reforms.

Whether Great British Railways will consider housing growth in capacity planning.

An integrated, affordable and sustainable transport network plays a vital role in unlocking homes and providing access to jobs and essential services. Great British Railways (GBR) will work closely with the Department for Transport, MHCLG and other government departments to align housebuilding with future transport infrastructure strategy and investment.  This will include considering housing growth as part of future capacity planning to help us deliver 1.5 million homes over the next 5 years.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed (a) railway station and (b) new town at Tempsford on (i) journey times and (ii) capacity on Thameslink services.

Network Rail will consider the impact of any new station at Tempsford as part of business case development for any East Coast Main Line infrastructure investment at the southern end of the route, including journey time and capacity implications for Thameslink services.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 35855 on Govia Thameslink Railway: Standards, whether the timetable referred to would reduce the number of services provided on a given line in some cases.

Currently all train operators are required to plan services and timetables designed to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. In the future Great British Railways (GBR) will be accountable for decisions on the use of the railway including in relation to the planning of train services. GBR will plan and implement an achievable, reliable timetable, so that the services promised to passengers are delivered. It is anticipated that better coordination of the timetable will reduce delays, improve reliability and reduce costs. GBR will need to continually reassess its services to ensure it provides rail timetables that meet passenger travel patterns, are fit for the future, and carefully balance cost, capacity and performance. This could potentially result in increases or decreases in service levels across different routes to ensure the best outcomes for both passengers and taxpayers.

If she will make an estimate of the potential impact of East West Rail on passenger numbers on Thameslink services (a) from London to Bedford, (b) from Bedford to London, (c) northbound on the East Coast Main Line and (d) southbound on the East Coast Main Line.

East West Rail Co. will be considering abstraction of passengers from other services as part of the Outline Business Case for East West Rail.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed Luton Airport expansion on Thameslink services.

Luton Airport Parkway station is well served with up to eight Thameslink and two East Midlands Railway trains an hour to and from the station. Most passenger demand for the airport is either in the off-peak period or in the contra-peak direction, when trains are typically less busy. The two train operators for the station, Govia Thameslink Railway and East Midlands Railway, were involved in the planning process for the airport expansion plans, including in relation to their ability to provide sufficient capacity to meet expected changes in demand.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 35853 on Govia Thameslink Railway: Fares, if she will make an estimate of the first year in which rail fares will go down under Great British Railways.

We are committed to the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation, delivering a range of improvements, from more reliable services to simpler ticketing. Through public ownership and the transition to Great British Railways, it is also our ambition to deliver a more affordable railway. Post-pandemic, the amount of taxpayer subsidy provided to the railway industry has increased from under a quarter in 2018/19 to over half of total income in 2022/23. A proportionate, annual increase in fares is necessary to support crucial investment and to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the railway.Our goal is to keep the price of rail travel at a point that works for both passengers and taxpayers, where possible, while ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the railway.