Every parliamentary written question tabled by Laurence Turner this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 95 · Department for Transport
With reference to paragraph 5.83 of the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, CP 1336, whether Kings Norton station will be upgraded as part of the next stage of Midlands Rail Hub West.
The west scope of the Midlands Rail Hub programme includes bringing the island platforms back into use and bringing the footbridge up to modern accessibility standards at Kings Norton Station.
With reference to paragraph 5.83 of the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, how much funding has been allocated to progress the next stage of Midlands Rail Hub West.
The Chancellor confirmed Midlands Rail Hub is a priority for the Government and £123m has been committed for the next phase of the Programme.
On what dates the HS2 ministerial taskforce has met since 25 October 2022.
The Ministerial Task Force for HS2 has met on the following dates since 25 October 2022: 1 November 202331 January 202422 October 202418 March 2025.
Which Ministers have been members of the HS2 Ministerial Taskforce since its creation; and on which dates each Minister (a) joined and (b) left the taskforce.
The Secretary of State for Transport, Minister for Rail and Chief Secretary to the Treasury have been members of the Ministerial Task Force for HS2 since its first meeting on 30 April 2020. Ministers from the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (and its predecessors) are no longer members, with the former last attending the meeting held on 15 December 2021 and the latter on 27 January 2022.
With reference to item 5.4.4 of the minutes of HS2 Limited's Board meeting of 25 September 2024, what the (a) membership and (b) remit is of the Tripartite Cooperation Board.
The Tripartite Cooperation Board (TCB) was established in 2014 following a memorandum of understanding signed between the DfT, NR and HS2 Ltd. The TCB brings together the senior executives from the Department, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, as sponsor for the programme, HS2 Ltd as delivery agent for the programme and Network Rail as owner and operator of the existing network. Its purpose is to provide strategic advice at the request of the Programme Senior Responsible Owner, Alan Over, or the Programme Board to ensure the successful integration of HS2 onto the conventional network in such a way that the whole network is enhanced. The members at this time are: Alan Over, Major Rail Projects Group DG, DfT - ChairAlex Hynes, Rail Services Group DG, DfTSir Andrew Haines, Chief Executive, Network Rail Chief ExecMark Wild, CEO, HS2 LtdRichard Goodman, Rail Reform and Strategy DG, DfT Clare Dixon, DfT – Secretariat.
What the (a) process and (b) timetable will be for recruiting a new Chief Executive of Network Rail.
The Network Rail Board via its Nomination and Remuneration Committee is responsible for the Chief Executive selection process. In line with the Network Rail Framework Agreement, the Secretary of State for Transport has the right to approve the Board’s suggested candidate for Chief Executive.The timetable for appointing a new Chief Executive will be confirmed once the Secretary of State has considered the recommendations of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
With reference to item 24/132 of Network Rail's Board minutes of 05 December 2024, what the proposed (a) resourcing and (b) functions were of the Shadow Great British Railways Delivery Unit; and for what reason did the then Secretary of State decided not to establish it.
Shadow Great British Railways has been established to bring together the leaders responsible for the operational railway working with an independent Chair to start to realise the benefits of rail reform for passengers and freight ahead of the formal creation of Great British Railways.To maximise collaboration, we are utilising cross-organisational project teams working together, with Shadow Great British Railways drawing on existing resources and capabilities from across the department, Network Rail and DfT Operator.
With reference to her Department's press notice entitled Transport Secretary launches review of train company revenue protection practices, published on 13 November 2024, what progress the Office of Rail and Road has made on that review; and when she expects the conclusions of that review to be published.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) will provide a final report to the Secretary of State no later than 15 May 2025. The review is currently in progress, and regular updates have been provided to the Department for Transport throughout. The ORR will determine when to publish the report.
What estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the additional time taken to introduce the South Western Railway Arterio rolling stock fleet.
Arterio delays were initially caused by manufacturing and software issues, the responsibility of Alstom. There have been a number of more recent issues including driver training and platform infrastructure readiness, the responsibility of South Western Railway, which have impacted the ability to bring further units into passenger service as envisaged. My officials are actively engaged in ensuring all appropriate actions are being taken in the interests of passengers and taxpayers. The Rail Minister has asked FirstGroup and MTR, the current owners of SWR, to meet with me urgently to explain what they are doing to address these issues as a priority.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of remodelling Manchester Oxford Road railway station on rail capacity.
Improving rail capacity and performance are key aims of the Government’s investment programme for Manchester, hence the prioritisation of improvements to Oxford Road station which is a key constraint on the network. As the Oxford Road project develops over the next couple of years, further timetable and station capacity studies will be made.
What recent progress she has made on the appointment of a new Chair of Network Rail.
The Department plans to launch an open and fair recruitment to appoint a new permanent Chair of Network Rail and has appointed an Executive Search Agency to run the recruitment.
What steps her Department is taking to increase capacity on the West Coast Main Line north of Birmingham.
The Department recognises concerns about capacity on the West Coast Main Line north of Birmingham and are considering advice before setting out detailed plans in due course. The Department is evaluating possible interventions to improve capacity north of Birmingham, such as changes to timetabling and service patterns, as well as incremental improvements to infrastructure and rolling stock that could help to alleviate capacity shortfalls.
When Transport Focus last published minutes of meetings of its Board.
Transport Focus is currently in the process of updating numerous sections of its website. This includes records such as the board minutes, and the board committee terms of reference. Transport Focus is committed to upholding the principles of transparency and accountability and will prioritise the publication of historic minutes as soon as possible. The most current iteration of board meeting minutes available on the Transport Focus website are those from the November 2021 board meeting. Recordings of public board meetings are available on the website, with the most recent being from May 2024: https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/about/transparency-and-accountability/board-meetings/ In the interim, if there are any minutes/events of particular interest, Transport Focus will be more than happy to make these available upon request: https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/contact-form.
With reference to the Office of Rail and Road's letter to Network Rail of 11 February 2025, entitled Management of structures – structures examination and assessment noncompliance, what recent assessment she has made of Network Rail's capability to (a) identify and (b) remedy infrastructure failings; and when the Independent Reporter commission that is referred to in that letter will conclude.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR), in its capacity as the independent rail safety regulator for Great Britain, is responsible for assessing the adequacy of the measures taken by Network Rail to examine, assess and evaluate the safety of the structural assets it owns, and for deciding on any appropriate regulatory action. ORR expects the Independent Reporter commission to conclude in approximately 9-12 months. Safety remains our top priority for the railways, and it is important the independent rail regulator can act proactively to ensure high standards are maintained. We will look to Network Rail to work closely with the ORR to agree a plan for prioritising delivery of its planned structures examinations and assessments.
Pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 28794 on Railways: Season Tickets, what the cost of a standard-class annual rail season ticket from (a) Longbridge, (b) Northfield and (c) Kings Norton stations to Birmingham New Street was between 03 March 2024 and 01 March 2025.
The price of the standard class annual season ticket for all these journeys was £971.
What information her Department holds on the levels of corrosion on the Class (a) 150/0, (b) 150/1, (c) 150/2, (d) 155, (e) 156 and (f) 158 vehicles operated by Northern Trains.
The Department does not hold information with regards to the levels of corrosion on the specified rolling stock. It is a matter for the operator, rolling stock owner and maintainer to ensure that their rolling stock remains in an appropriate condition for operation on the railway network.
What steps Network Rail takes to monitor air quality at Birmingham New Street station.
Network Rail monitors air quality at Birmingham New Street station as part of a £4.5 million air quality monitoring network, which is funded by the Department for Transport and managed by the Rail Safety and Standards Board. The network, which began operating in 2022, has measured air quality at over 100 mainline stations across Great Britain, providing data on key pollutants that impact public health, such as nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5). In addition, Network Rail conducts occupational health monitoring to assess staff exposure to diesel engine exhaust emissions at its managed stations, including Birmingham New Street.
When her Department plans to respond to the consultation entitled Enabling road use of hydrogen-powered non-road mobile machinery, published on 27 March 2024.
Following a consultation that closed in April 2024, the Department for Transport is developing an amendment to The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 to allow hydrogen-powered off-road machinery to be used on the road. Legislation is expected to be introduced alongside publication of the Government’s response to the public consultation in April.
How many Highways England traffic officers were employed on 15 March in each year since 2016.
The number of traffic officers employed by National Highways on 15 March in each year since 2016 was as follows: YearTraffic officer headcount on 15 March20161,43520171,41020181,41920191,54620201,47220211,41220221,39020231,48820241,553
What information her Department holds on the cost of a standard-class annual rail season ticket from (a) Longbridge, (b) Northfield and (c) Kings Norton stations to Birmingham New Street in 2010.
In 2010, annual season tickets from both Longbridge and Northfield to Birmingham New Street cost £597.00, and from Kings Norton to Birmingham New Street cost £523.00.