§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the adequacy of rail services on the Chiltern line; and if he will make a statement. [18382]
§ Mr. WattsNone. Current levels of service are a matter for Chiltern. The franchising director has invited indicative bids for the Chiltern franchise by 22 March. The passenger service requirement, which is the contractually agreed level of service that the franchise operator will be required to provide, was finalised on 22 January following consultation between the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and relevant local authorities—including the London boroughs of Ealing and Brent—and rail users' consultative committees.