(Non-Afl): My
Lords, if the Government are not cutting subsidies for the train
operating companies, can the Minister tell me why services on the
west coast main line have deteriorated so badly over the past
year or so? Trains are often cancelled, frequently overcrowded
and often late. I never thought I would be saying, “Bring back
Branson”, but services under Avanti appear to be markedly worse
than they were previously. What are the Government going to do to
improve the situation?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Transport () (Con): In
the broader scope of things, Great British
Railways will be developing the whole industry
strategic plan; the call for evidence for that has now closed. We
are also asking each train operating company to produce annual
business plans, which will streamline the passenger offer, make
sure demand is actually met and in balance with the supply,
remove duplication, as I said, and ensure that operations are as
efficient as possible.
(Lab): There was
an article in the paper this morning about closing many ticket
offices. Is this likely to happen? If so, is that a better
service for the passengers on our rail network?
(Con): Ticketing and fare reform is a key part of what we
hope to do with Great British
Railways The leadership there will help with the
mass of complicated fares which currently exist. We will be
supplementing that with £360 million of investment in fares,
ticketing and retailing. We will deliver contactless
pay-as-you-go in 700 stations in urban areas across the country,
including 400 stations in the north, and we will provide digital
ticketing across the network and upgrade ticket vending machines.
Obviously we will have to look at the number of ticket offices
available, but we will also ensure that people get the level of
customer support that they need.
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