§ Mrs. EllmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve consultation with passengers groups and local authorities on proposed cuts in rail services; and if he will make a statement. [115464]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Strategic Rail Authority currently engages closely with the Rail Passengers Committees (RPCs), which represent the interests and voice of passengers. The Authority plan to improve links with the RPCs through more regular meetings. The Authority have also established a Regional Planning Team, and will shortly appoint Regional Planning176W Managers, who will be responsible for liaison with regional planning bodies and local authorities, and for co-ordinating the SRA"s rail planning activities in the regions. The recent timetable changes were driven by the need to improve performance urgently in the interests of passengers.
§ Mrs. EllmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements are planned for Lime Street Station, Liverpool. [115465]
§ Mr. JamiesonNetwork Rail advises that it is planning to add Liverpool Lime Street to its portfolio of "Major Stations" (stations owned and managed directly by Network Rail, rather than by train operating companies). Until negotiations are complete regarding this process, details of planned improvements are unavailable.
§ Mrs. EllmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment was made of the economic regeneration impact of the SRA"s recent decision to cut cross country services to Liverpool in the 2003 summer and autumn timetable. [115466]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe timetable changes were driven by the need to improve performance urgently in the interests of passengers. The principal passenger flows to and from Liverpool, from which principal economic benefits are derived, will continue to be served by through trains with improving reliability.
§ Mrs. EllmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the London-Liverpool Intercity Pendolino trains will be operational. [115467]
§ Mr. JamiesonI refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 19 May 2003,Official Report, column 548W, to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Mr. Paul Marsden).
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 12 May 2003,Official Report, column 128W, on railways, how many train operating companies have (a) sought permission, (b) obtained permission and (c) been denied permission from (i) Network Rail and (ii) the Strategic Rail Authority to exceed the prescribed journey times in each of the last two years; and on which routes. [115570]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe information requested can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on changes in staffing levels within the railway industry since 1992. [115586]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe following table shows staff employed in the railways for each year since 1992. The apparently steep fall, especially pronounced after 1995, is due primarily to staff from parts of the former British Rail being reclassified to other sectors such as telecommunications, construction, manufacturing and business services. A 2001 report by the Rail Industry Training Council estimated the number of staff employed in the industry as a whole at that time at between 140,000 and 150,000, broadly comparable with the figure for 1992. 177W
Thousand Year Number 1992 142 1993 135 1994 128 1995 113 1996 85 1997 55 1998 46 1999 49 2000 49 2001 48 2002 50
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport which companies have been rejected by the Strategic Rail Authority from prequalification in the current franchise replacement programme, and what reasons in each case were given by the Strategic Rail Authority under the terms of the Cabinet Office guidance for non-departmental public bodies. [115707]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe companies that have failed to pre-qualify for franchises, and the reasons for their failure, are not made public in the interests of commercial confidentiality and maintaining a competitive procurement process. Potential bidders are given confidential feedback. In all cases the aim is to ensure a strong competition that delivers a value for money franchise.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons companies may be rejected by the Strategic Rail Authority from prequalification in the franchise replacement programme; and what(a) guidance and (b) legislation covers this process. [115708]
§ Mr. JamiesonFranchising is a matter for the Strategic Rail Authority under the provisions of the Transport Act 2000. Neither the Act nor the Directions and Guidance to the Authority issued by the Secretary of State under the Act address the pre-qualification process. To pre-qualify prospective bidders must complete questionnaires which the Authority then evaluates and ranks in order of merit. On the basis of that evaluation, the Authority selects not less than three and not more than five bidders to receive Invitations to Tender.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Travelsafe officers and equivalent operate on the railways, broken down by Train Operating Company. [115716]
§ Mr. JamiesonSouth West Trains is the only train operating company that employs Travelsafe officers. They currently have 27 Travelsafe officers deployed in Clapham, Guildford, Portsmouth and Richmond.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many compensation claims have been made for delays on the railways by passengers in each year since 1997 using (i) claim form RSP25805/24 and (ii) other claim forms; and what their total value was. [115717]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe information is not held centrally.
178W
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what legislation governs the(a) activities and (b) powers of Travelsafe officers operating on South West Trains; and if he will make a statement. [115754]
§ Mr. JamiesonTravelsafe Officers are civilian employees of South West Trains. They are governed by the same legislation that applies to other employees of this company. They have no specific powers but, as with other employees, they are able to use the national Railway Bylaws made by South West Trains to regulate the behaviour of passengers on the railways.