(Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale
and Tweeddale) (Con): I have previously expressed my concern
that, having built up an extensive timetable to Lockerbie
station, which is served by both Avanti and FirstGroup
passenger confidence has been completely undermined by the
unreliability of services. TransPennine is part
of FirstGroup
which is also part of the Avanti partnership. I do believe that
some blame lies with First and the way in which it is managing
these franchises. Does my hon. Friend agree that it urgently
needs to not just get rid of the managing director of Avanti, but
address its part in making sure that services are available and
that passengers, particularly in a rural area in Scotland such as
the one that I represent, can be confident in the reliability of
services?
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (): Absolutely. I, too,
live in a rural area and recognise how important a safe, reliable
and affordable rail service is for passengers, especially when
they do not have other options. I reiterate that a decision will
be taken on 16 October. All options remain on the table. There is
no excuse for Avanti’s inability over recent years to recruit
sufficient numbers of train drivers. However, we do have a finite
number of train drivers in the UK, and so recruiting more train
drivers must be our priority. The most important thing is to
recruit more people into the transport sector. We can all play a
part in that. There are fantastic careers and brilliant
qualifications in the transport sector, as I learned yesterday at
the women in transport event. My message to all parliamentarians
is to work with me in the Department for Transport to convey the
great opportunities and careers that are available in the
transport sector and also for train drivers.
