Department for Transport<p>Since December 2013, services on the 20 minute journey from Newton Abbot to Paignton have operated approximately every half an hour, an improvement on the previous hourly service with an additional 12 trains per day. The additional service was promoted by Torbay and Devon County Council and part funded by an EU grant.</p><p> </p><p>There are long standing aspirations to maintain and expand this service supported by recommendations in Network Rail’s Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS). The Department’s Rail Executive is in ongoing discussions with First Great Western and Network Rail about the continuation and expansion of this service and responses to our 2014 Great Western consultation showed strong support for this.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, Network Rail continues to focus on the ongoing work as to whether a new or reopened inland route should be constructed to provide a more resilient railway for the South West, in addition to what works are ongoing to improve Dawlish itself.</p><p>Options for maintaining a resilient rail service to the Southwest Peninsula were presented by Network Rail to the Secretary of State in July 2014. The options will influence the next industry plan in 2016 and inform the Government’s rail investment strategy for 2019-2024.</p><p> </p><p>Network Rail is progressing work on the existing rail route via Dawlish to ensure that future route failure is avoided.</p><p> </p><p> </p>DevizesClaire Perry2015-06-12false2015-06-12T11:16:56.533Z27TransportTransport2015-06-04Railways: South West1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with Network Rail and First Great Western on improving the rail service to Torbay and the South West.falseTorbayKevin Foster1112Department for Transport<p>Network Rail spent £40 million repairing and strengthening the line at Dawlish after the severe weather in 2014, and in order to try prevent the kind of damage to the railway that happened in 2014 from happening again, £31 million is also going into improving the resilience of the Great Western route.</p><p> </p><p>Options for maintaining a resilient rail service to the Southwest Peninsula were presented by Network Rail to the Secretary of State in July 2014. The options will influence the next industry plan in 2016 and inform the Government’s rail investment strategy for 2019-2024.</p><p> </p><p>Network Rail is progressing work on the existing rail route via Dawlish to ensure that future route failure is avoided.</p><p> </p>DevizesClaire Perry2015-06-12false2015-06-12T11:21:18.547Z27TransportTransport2015-06-04Railways: South West1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on improving the resilience of the railway to Torbay and the South West.falseTorbayKevin Foster1113Department for Transport<p>When the second Great Western Direct Award was announced earlier in the year, we confirmed that the contract allowed for the potential for separate franchised rail services in Devon and Cornwall.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department is currently carrying out a high level review of rail franchise geography. We would also expect to consult with stakeholders in Devon and Cornwall in the development of any future proposals.</p><p> </p>DevizesClaire Perry2015-07-21false2015-07-21T12:31:37.923Z27TransportTransport2015-07-16Railways: South West1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on establishing a separate Devon and Cornwall rail franchise.falseNottingham SouthLilian Greenwood7664Department for Transport<p>As part of the long-term economic plan to increase growth and create jobs in the South West, this Government has a commitment to £7.2 billion investment in transport infrastructure in the South West over this Parliament.</p><p>As the Secretary of State for Transport set out in his oral statement to the House on 25 June, he has asked the new Chair of Network Rail, Sir Peter Hendy, to re-plan the enhancements programme. A full assessment of the delivery of the enhancements programme will be a specific task of the re-plan, which is due to report back in the autumn.</p>DevizesClaire Perry2015-10-12false2015-10-12T14:15:33.813Z27TransportTransport2015-09-16Railways: South West1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what infrastructure upgrades, other than the Reading rebuilding project, are being undertaken or planned to gain journey time benefit for the South West Peninsula from the new high-speed AT300 trains when they are introduced in December 2018.falseSouth West DevonMr Gary Streeter10527Department for Transport<p><strong></strong></p><p>Sir Peter Hendy has been asked to review Network Rail’s enhancement portfolio, so that works may be delivered over a more realistic timeframe. The terms of reference are clear that work is to be prioritised to take “<em>particular account of interfaces with other infrastructure programmes and the need to deliver the required passenger and freight benefits, franchise or rolling stock commitments”. </em>Sir Peter Hendy is due to report later in the Autumn.</p><br />DevizesClaire Perry2015-11-10false2015-11-10T15:10:27.553Z27TransportTransport2015-11-04Railways: South West1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Sir Peter Hendy's work to re-plan the Network Rail enhancements programme in Control Period 5, 2014-19, takes account of maximising the journey time benefit for the South West peninsula by use of the new high-speed AT300 trains which are due to be introduced in December 2018.falsePlymouth, Sutton and DevonportOliver Colvile14781Department for Transport<p>The Secretary of State for Transport asked the new Chair of Network Rail, Sir Peter Hendy Review to review the enhancements programme as detailed in the Network Rail’s Control Period 5 (2014-2019) Rail Enhancement’s Delivery Plan. This did not include the electrification to Plymouth and the South West Peninsula. Electrification of this route is expected to be considered as part of the future strategy for the railway.</p>DevizesClaire Perry2015-11-17false2015-11-17T14:31:39.297Z27TransportTransport2015-11-10Railways: South West1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information he holds on whether Sir Peter Hendy's review of Network Rail's programme plans will consider extending electrification to Plymouth and the South West Peninsula.falsePlymouth, Moor ViewJohnny Mercer15925Department for Transport<p><strong></strong></p><p>As Sir Peter Hendy’s report to the Secretary of State on the 25 November 2015 on the replanning of the CP5 Investment Programme made clear, the Cornwall Capacity Enabling Scheme, which will enable the delivery of the introduction of AT300 trains to the South West peninsula, will be delivered within CP5.</p>DevizesClaire Perry2015-12-01false2015-12-01T11:49:39.643Z27TransportTransport2015-11-23Railways: South West1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make contingency plans for delivery by bodies other than Network Rail of Control Period 5 projects that the Hendy Review determines to be undeliverable and which are necessary in order to realise the full benefit of the introduction of AT300 trains to the South West peninsula.falsePlymouth, Moor ViewJohnny Mercer17347Department for Transport<p>No such assessment has been made. Network Rail is currently assessing the case for further electrification of the rail network. It plans to publish a draft update to the industry electrification strategy in early 2016, taking into account the outcome of the review by Sir Peter Hendy of Network Rail’s programme of rail investment.</p><br />DevizesClaire Perry2015-12-02false2015-12-02T14:22:27.183Z27TransportTransport2015-11-24Railways: South West1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the benefits of extending rail electrification from Bristol to Taunton.falseTaunton DeaneRebecca Pow17493HM Treasury<p>The government has had discussions on a range of topics with the Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission. The commission will examine all forms of economic infrastructure, including rail transport.</p>Lord O'Neill of Gatley2016-01-08false2016-01-08T14:02:21.117Z14TreasuryCaTreasury2015-12-21Railways: South West2House of LordsTo ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had discussions with the Chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission concerning railway links between London and south-west England.falseLord PattenHL4766Department for Transport<p>The National Infrastructure Commission is not currently undertaking work on railway links between London and South West England.</p><p> </p><p>Network Rail assessed the adequacy of the rail links between London and the South West as part of the rail industry’s Long Term Planning Process. The Western & Wessex Route Studies form part of this process and develop options for future services and for investment in the rail network up to 2043.</p><p>The options set out in the Route Studies are based on a regional and route based interpretation of the outputs and demand forecasts from previous market studies.</p><p> </p>Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon2016-02-01false2016-02-01T12:31:59.743Z27TransportTransport2016-01-20Railways: South West2House of LordsTo ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 8 January (HL4766), what is their assessment of the adequacy of railway links between London and South-West England.falseLord PattenHL5287100135