(Witney) (Con): Commuters in
west Oxfordshire have long been frustrated by reliability problems
on the Cotswold line. What support can Ministers offer me and the
Cotswold line promotion group? The group is campaigning for further
redoubling on the line, which will not only improve reliability but
will give us scope to increase the services available.
The Secretary of State for Transport (): I congratulate my hon.
Friend on his tireless campaigning for improvements on the
Cotswold line. The line will benefit very soon from the Great
Western Railway timetable change in December, which will offer
shorter journey times and more frequent services to key
locations. Moreover, services from North Cotswold via Oxford and
London will be restructured to deliver more, and more consistent,
services. So I feel that my hon. Friend’s campaign is making
progress.
(Gloucester) (Con):
Constituents across Gloucestershire will be delighted with the
additional 5,000 seats a day of rail capacity between Gloucester
and Paddington. Can the Minister tell me when we might also
expect additional capacity on the important and very popular
Gloucester to Bristol line, which would be welcomed by the Mayor
of the West of England, my hon. Friend the Member for Thornbury
and Yate () and our excellent candidate in
Stroud, Siobhan Baillie?
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (): My hon. Friend has
been campaigning on this issue, possibly since the day he was
born; he is certainly in my ear about it all the time. Increasing
frequency on local Great Western Railway trains is the best way
in which to provide additional frequency and seats on the route,
and this is likely to be provided as an extension of MetroWest
additional services for Bristol to Yate, with the Department
funding Yate to Gloucester. MetroWest proposals are under
development by GWR as part of the next franchise, which will
start in April 2020.
(Stalybridge and Hyde)
(Lab/Co-op): TransPennine rail services between Leeds and
Manchester through Stalybridge and Mossley are clearly vital to
this country. The previous Government changed their mind quite a
lot on improvements, including on full electrification. What is
this Secretary of State’s policy on Transpennine rail upgrades, and
will he meet me to hear some sensible suggestions on the way
forward?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
(): I am happy to meet the hon.
Gentleman. I am very interested and cannot wait.
