§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans exist to undertake a census of capacity for commuter routes running to and from Newcastle and Cardiff; when such a census was conducted in previous years; if he will publish the results of the last such survey in tabular form; and if he will make a statement as to how OPRAF intends to proceed in consideration of passengers in excess of capacity targets for such routes. [31888]
§ Mr. WattsBritish Rail's monitoring systems collect data relating to capacity for all its services as a matter of normal practice. OPRAF intends to apply load factor or seating capacity requirements on certain commuter routes. These will be specified in the passenger service requirements included in franchise agreements. No decisions have yet been made as to the specifications which will apply in respect of commuter services to and from Newcastle and Cardiff.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps OPRAF will take to prevent rail franchise holders who are operating services which were previously part of Network SouthEast from transferring a substantial number of passengers to the services of another operator in order to exceed passenger capacity targets. [31894]
§ Mr. WattsThe draft franchise agreement contains a provision prohibiting franchisees from avoiding their obligations with regard to the provision of adequate capacity on commuter services by taking action which might transfer a material number of passengers to another operator.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what obligations or incentives OPRAF intends to impose or provide to ensure that rail franchise holders will upgrade their rolling stock; if specific target dates will be set for(a) the provision of trains with lavatories and (b) the carriage of cycles. [31896]
§ Mr. WattsThe specification of replacement stock, when this becomes necessary, will be a matter for the commercial judgment of the franchisee.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport under what circumstances OPRAF may release 59W rail franchise holders from minimum standards applying to stations which it operates; to what extent persistent vandalism would constitute a relevant factor; and how the costs and benefits of repairing the effects of such vandalism or of increased security to prevent its recurrence will be measured by OPRAF when considering any relaxation of standards. [31878]
§ Mr. WattsRail franchise holders will be required to meet minimum station standards, except where the franchising director considers the cost of compliance would significantly outweigh the benefit to passengers, or where he is persuaded that the standard is impractical.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requirement OPRAF will impose on rail franchise holders operating stations or providing waiting rooms in relation to the proportion of platforms to be provided with this facility and the hours they should be open. [31880]
§ Mr. WattsIn general, operators will be required to provide covered waiting accommodation at each station. Adequate alternative shelter must be provided where waiting accommodation is not available or is temporarily out of use.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if OPRAF will compensate(a) franchisees and (b) passengers in the event of any adjustment in the rate of VAT on passenger rail transport before 31 March 2003; [31882]
(2) what level of benefits to railcard holders will be guaranteed in franchise agreements; [31886]
(3) if OPRAF will be permitted to suspend ticket inter-availability requirements only when his judgment is that this will lead to benefits to passengers; how such benefits will be identified; and whether forecast benefits will be published for consultation prior to a final decision. [31885]
§ Mr. WattsI refer the hon. Member to the passenger rail industry overview, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the weighting employed by OPRAF in designing the tariff baskets of controlled fares for capping purposes will be published; and what audit arrangements will be put in place to ensure that changes to specific fares made by any franchise holder are compatible with fares capping requirements set by OPRAF for the total basket of controlled fares. [31884]
§ Mr. WattsThe franchising director does not propose to publish the weighting employed by OPRAF in designing tariff baskets of controlled fares for capping purposes. Franchise operators must notify the franchising director of any proposals to increase regulated fares. Fares will be monitored periodically by OPRAF to ensure compliance with fares regulation.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if rail franchise holders will be obliged to inform passengers, at each station which they operate, of timetables for all passenger trains stopping at those60W stations; whether they will be obliged to do so in the form of a single booklet or leaflet at staffed stations, and a single information display at all stations; and if he will define more precisely the derogation as far as practicable, employed by OPRAF, in specifying this obligation. [31887]
§ Mr. WattsFranchise holders will be obliged to display at all stations the times of all trains and details of principal connections and, where stations are manned, this information will be available in written form.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport under what circumstances OPRAF will specify connections as part of the passenger service requirements; what definition OPRAF will employ of the rail franchise holder's own commercial interest when considering whether such a specification should be made; and what written definition or guidance on such circumstances exists in documents produced by OPRAF or in instructions from the Government to OPRAF. [31895]
§ Mr. WattsGenerally, OPRAF will specify a connection where it provides a socially necessary service which would not otherwise be provided for operational reasons or under the operator's general duty within the franchise agreement to provide a reasonable pattern of connections.
The Government have not given the franchising director any instructions or guidance in relation to the specification of connections. OPRAF has set out its policy approach in information to consultees in relation to passenger service requirements.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport under what circumstances OPRAF will be permitted to propose changes to passenger services requirements during the lifetime of a franchise; if such proposed changes(a) must be only in the direction of offering an enhanced level of service to passengers or (b) will be subject to consultation with rail users consultative committees and others and (c) can be made only with the agreement of both OPRAF and the franchise holder and how the consequential adjustments to franchise payments will be determined. [31879]
§ Mr. WattsThe franchising director has the right to adjust passenger service requirements during the life of a franchise, but the instructions and guidance given to him by the Secretary of State stipulate that any changes from the existing pattern of services should be made gradually. The franchising director will consult the relevant rail users consultative committees and local authorities before making significant changes to PSRs and will adjust franchise payments so that the franchise operator does not gain or lose as a result.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons he has decided that the historical performance of a train operating company should be of relevance when specifying performance targets for those companies after privatisation. [31879]
§ Mr. WattsThis is a matter for OPRAF. Performance benchmarks will be set in relevant franchise agreements based on actual performance in either 1993–94 or 61W 1994–95, whichever is the more typical of an average year, or the passengers charters targets if these are higher.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if OPRAF will place any requirement on training operating companies in franchise agreements or elsewhere that trains should carry guards or other on-board staff. [31881]
§ Mr. WattsOPRAF has no plans to impose any requirements additional to those needed for reasons of safety.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if rail franchise holders operating service groups with London terminuses which were previously part of Network SouthEast will be permitted to increase the number of excess passengers, as measured by the means used in compiling the annual autumn census of capacity, provided that the resulting figures do not exceed the permitted percentage in excess of capacity specified by OPRAF. [31883]