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23 Feb 2009 : Column 497W—continued
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) fatalities and (b) injuries there have been on the railways in (i) Greater London, (ii) Sutton and Cheam constituency and (iii) nationwide in each year since 1998. [256662]
Paul Clark: Fatality and injury data by constituency can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, the other information requested on fatalities and injuries on the railways in Greater London and nationwide in each year since 1998 is shown in the following tables.
| Table 1 : Railway fatalities and injuries Great Britain1998-08( 1) | ||
| Fatalities | Injuries | |
| (1) Provisional figures. | ||
| Table 2: Railway fatalities and injuries Greater London area only 1998-08( 1) | ||
| Fatalities | Injuries | |
| (1) Provisional figures. | ||
The data are based on incidents reported to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95). The majority of fatality figures relate to incidents of trespass and suicide.
Data for 2008 are provisional and subject to change.
Railways: Coventry
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent steps the Government have taken to improve rail services to and from Coventry. [256814]
Paul Clark: The Government have specified an increase in the number of inter-city trains from two to three each way per hour between London, Coventry and Birmingham, and the additional services were introduced in December 2008. The Government have also specified an increase in the number of trains between Northampton, Coventry and Birmingham from one to two each way per hour throughout the day, and these too were introduced in December 2008.
Railways: East Midlands
Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2009, Official Report, column 1305W, on railways: overcrowding, whether East Midlands Trains Class 158 trains will be providing a service during rush hour periods. [258135]
Paul Clark: Yes. East Midlands Trains is under an obligation to deploy all its available fleet during peak hours, which includes Class 158 units.
Railways: Fares
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2009, Official Report, column 1137W, on railways: fares, what reasons underlie the Government's policy on the provision of additional railcard schemes; and if he will make a statement. [256823]
Paul Clark: Railcards offer a discount against the full price of travel. They are designed to encourage travel by groups of people who might otherwise be unable to use rail and to encourage social inclusion. In general, railcards are for off-peak travel where there is spare train capacity.
All franchised train operators must accept the Senior Railcard, Young Persons Railcard and Disabled Persons' Railcard. Other railcards are offered commercially by train operators.
Factors in considering any additional railcard would include whether it was likely to reduce the revenue to the railway, and whether it would benefit those on a high income as well as those on a lower income. Fares revenue and subsidy together have to cover the costs of providing the service. We could require operators to offer more railcards but only if Government paid higher subsidies to offset the reduction in revenue. This would reduce the funds available for other things, including investment in train services.
Railways: Franchises
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria his Department uses to assign red light status to a rail franchise in its assessment of the financial position of train operating companies. [257008]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport uses a number of criteria in its routine reviews of the operational and financial performance of train operating companies. These include an examination of forecast costs and revenues going forward, as well as an analysis of wider economic forecasts that might have an impact on the franchise in question.
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the value was of the bond deposited by each of the train operating companies awarded a rail franchise. [257010]
Paul Clark: The value of bonds deposited by train operating companies are based on a formula relating to the assessed costs of the franchise in question. As such the values of the bonds are commercially confidential.
Railways: Greater Manchester
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department plans to increase the carrying capacity of rail services in Greater Manchester; and if he will make a statement. [257582]
Paul Clark: In the White Paper “Delivering a Sustainable Railway” of July 2007 the Government announced their intention to meet extra demand for rail travel into Manchester by 2013-14, namely an additional 2,200 passengers in the morning high-peak hour, and 4,100 passengers in the morning peak three hours. We are currently in discussion with relevant train operating companies on measures to meet this demand and will make announcements in due course.
Railways: Northern Region
Dr. Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to increase rail capacity between Durham and Newcastle. [257991]
Paul Clark:
In the White Paper “Delivering a Sustainable Railway” of July 2007 the Government announced their intention to meet extra demand for rail travel into “other urban areas” (including Newcastle) by 2013-14; in total, 2,000 passengers in the morning high-peak hour, and 3,600 passengers in the morning peak three
hours for all such areas. The Government are currently in discussion with relevant train operating companies on measures to meet this demand, and will make announcements in due course.
Railways: Standards
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next plans to meet UK train operators to discuss the (a) level of fares, (b) train punctuality, (c) quality of rolling stock and (d) level and quality of refreshment services on board trains. [257162]
Paul Clark: In addition to regular general meetings with the Association of Train Operating Companies and representatives of the train operators, Department for Transport Ministers meet senior representatives of all GB train operators every four weeks specifically to discuss rail industry operational performance.
In addition, departmental officials meet all franchise train operators every four weeks to discuss the delivery of franchise agreements and obligations.
Railways: Wales
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assign the line from Bidston to Wrexham to Merseyrail; and if he will make a statement. [257007]
Paul Clark: This is a matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the GB national rail infrastructure. The Welsh Assembly Government are responsible for the specification and funding of the franchised passenger services operated by Arriva Trains Wales between Bidston and Wrexham.
Railways: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on railway infrastructure serving the (a) City of York and (b) east coast main line in each of the last 15 years. [257838]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold the information in the form requested.
The majority of capital investment on the railway is undertaken by Network Rail which is funded through a combination of direct grants from Government and track access charges levied on train operators. Details of total historic Government spending on the railway are published by the Office of Rail Regulation in National Rail Trends. Copies of this are available in the Library of the House and on the ORR’s website at
Roads: Lighting
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely effects on (a) levels of road safety and (b) numbers of road accidents of reducing the hours during which (i) street and (ii) motorway lighting is used; and if he will make a statement. [255612]
Paul Clark: Street lighting service levels on local roads are a matter for individual highway authorities.
The effects of reducing lighting levels or turning lights off will vary from case to case. Any reduction in energy use would have to be balanced against potential adverse effects, for example on accidents. The UK Lighting Board in conjunction with the Institution of Lighting Engineers has published “Invest to Save” which provides guidance to local authorities considering reducing lighting levels. The document can be found at the Institution of Lighting Engineers’ website at:
In respect of motorways, the Highways Agency provides and renews lighting by conducting a cost-benefit appraisal based on the historic accident rates for individual locations. This aims to deliver improvements to road safety and reduced night time accidents, where they would have the most effect.
Consideration is being given to switching off lighting on sections of motorway where there is a good safety record, traffic flows are low between midnight and 5 am, and have been subject to the completion of a thorough safety risk assessment.
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost to the public purse was of maintaining each (a) motorway, (b) trunk road and (c) other road for which the Highways Agency was responsible in each year since 1997-98, broken down by road. [257398]
Paul Clark: The cost to the public purse of maintaining the motorways, trunk roads and other roads for which the Highways Agency was responsible in each year since 1997-98 is as follows:
| £millions | |
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