argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
HS2 — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with Douglas Oakervee on potential alternative routes for High Speed Two phases 1 and 2a; and if he will make a statement.
Paul Christopher Maynard (Conservative, Centre-right): As I say, we have not put any time limit on Mr Oakervee’s findings, and he will report when he is ready to do so. As my hon. Friend will know, the current plans for phase 1 would see passengers connecting to Heathrow via Old Oak Common, and services would also call at Euston where passengers can make onward travel plans, including to Eurostar at King’s Cross St Pancras.
HS2 — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with Douglas Oakervee on potential alternative routes for High Speed Two phases 1 and 2a; and if he will make a statement.
Paul Christopher Maynard (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman is perhaps tempting me to go a little too far in presuming that everything is going ahead. I do not want to pre-empt Mr Oakervee’s report, but he will be aware that under the previous plans, classic-compatible trains will run north of Wigan and will therefore be able to stop at a range of stations, including Kendal, Oxenholme in the Lake District and Carlisle. That is part of what the West Coast Partnership will be able to consider.
HS2 — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with Douglas Oakervee on potential alternative routes for High Speed Two phases 1 and 2a; and if he will make a statement.
Paul Christopher Maynard (Conservative, Centre-right): I am disappointed to hear what my right hon. Friend has to say and I am more than happy to meet him to obtain further details. It is very important that HS2 Ltd continues to work with local communities rather than acting upon them when it carries out these works. I look forward to hearing further details.
HS2 — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What recent discussions he has had with Douglas Oakervee on potential alternative routes for High Speed Two phases 1 and 2a; and if he will make a statement.
Paul Christopher Maynard (Conservative, Centre-right): I will take no lectures from the hon. Lady on how to support the north economically, or indeed, in transport terms. I am delighted that she lives in a world of alternate reality—neither the Secretary of State nor I have received Mr Oakervee’s report. She clearly knows more than I do, or maybe she is making it up. [Interruption.]
Rail Performance — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): I take the performance of the railway very seriously and think that trains should run on time, which is why I have changed the industry’s performance standard from trains being five or even 10 minutes late to their being on time to the minute.
Rail Performance — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Robert Alexander Courts (Conservative, Centre-right): Commuters in west Oxfordshire have long been frustrated by reliability problems on the Cotswold line. What support can Ministers offer me and the Cotswold line promotion group? The group is campaigning for further redoubling on the line, which will not only improve reliability but will give us scope to increase the services available.
Rail Performance — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate my hon. Friend on his tireless campaigning for improvements on the Cotswold line. The line will benefit very soon from the Great Western Railway timetable change in December, which will offer shorter journey times and more frequent services to key locations. Moreover, services from North Cotswold via Oxford and London will be restructured to deliver more, and more consistent, services. So I feel that my hon. Friend’s campaign is making progress.
Rail Performance — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Henry Bellingham (Conservative, Centre-right): Will the Secretary of State give us an update on the investment in Ely north junction, which is pivotal to the introduction of a half-hourly service from London to King’s Lynn as well as improving services from Cambridge to Norwich? Will he work alongside Network Rail and local authorities to ensure that this vital scheme is delivered?
Rail Performance — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
David Anthony Evennett (Conservative, Centre-right): As my right hon. Friend is well aware, in my borough of Bexley we suffer from a very poor rail service operated by Southeastern. We experience regular cancellations—including the cancellation of my train this morning—and persistent short delays. What more can my right hon. Friend do to get our train company to improve punctuality and reliability?
Rail Performance — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): I know that my right hon. Friend recently met the rail Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Chris Heaton-Harris). He is absolutely right: poor services are unacceptable, which is why the Williams review is so important. I do not agree that nationalisation is the answer, not least because railway numbers have doubled since privatisation. [Interruption.] It has a lot to do with the £6 billion invested by the private companies. However, there is much, much more to be done, and we will be doing more in time.
Rail Performance — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Iain Lewer (Conservative, Centre-right): Will the Minister elaborate on the plans to open the proposed Market Harborough line as part of the Oxford to Cambridge expressway and the benefits that it will bring to the local economy, especially around Northampton?
Rail Performance — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): I understand that the reopening is at a formative stage, but I am very supportive of it. Indeed, I support the reopening of many of the smaller lines that were closed as a result of the Beeching cuts under a Labour Government, and I should like to see as many reopened as possible.
Rail Performance — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Questions: I am pleased to hear that the Secretary of State is keen to reopen railway lines, but a short section of dual track is needed between Manchester and Sheffield, two of the least connected cities in the north. That has now been put on hold again, and my constituents are very disappointed. They have written to the Secretary of State, but have yet to receive a reply.
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): Perhaps the hon. Lady missed it, but I mentioned to the Transport Committee last week that I had already issued a request for the proposal which, as she will know, is the first stage towards either a direct award or a last-resort operation. I agree that poor service is unacceptable, and the financial problems are well documented.
Buses — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani (Conservative, Centre-right): Bus patronage varies across the country, and as a bus champion I am pleased to say that catching a bus is the most popular form of public transport. Hon. Members will want to know that we continue to invest in our bus services with further additional funding of £220 million through the better deal for bus users package, which will also include £30 million paid directly to local authorities to improve current or new services.
Buses — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady for her question which enables me to elaborate on the further funding that is available, but of course we know the importance of bus services; not only do they get people to work, but they ensure connectivity across our communities. As well as the £220 million of additional funding, we have the £1 billion for concessionary fares, but also the transformative £2.5 billion for the transforming cities fund, which also looks at reducing congestion. The hon. Lady talked about the reduction in services in England, but she may want to know that the highest number of bus services cut in the United Kingdom are of course in Labour-led Wales.
Buses — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani (Conservative, Centre-right): I was pleased to visit Bristol and jump on a bus there, and it does indeed have a fantastic service. Patronage has gone up by 50%—[Interruption.] Well, it is getting better and better, and the numbers are indeed going up. One reason why the numbers are going up is that bus service operators are open to working with the local authority and making data available. One thing that we are doing, because of our Bus Services Act 2017, is ensuring the bus open data digital service is available for even more people. We know what people want, especially younger people: absolutely accurate detail on when their bus is arriving, how along the journey will take, and how much it will cost.
Buses — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Questions: With no rail links in North Cornwall the public are pushed on to rural buses, and they welcome the new One public transport system, which specifically allocates money for things like the £1 around town initiative, which will be really beneficial for many of my rural constituents. Can the Minister confirm the benefits of the One public transport system, and is it possible to get direct buses to the general hospital from my major towns?
Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is a good champion for North Cornwall, and of course the fantastic £1 around town initiative will be hugely successful. Rural buses are absolutely key for rural constituencies, including mine in Wealden, and from 2020 the One public transport proposals for Cornwall will integrate buses with rail services to provide passengers with better public transport solutions, low fares and higher frequency buses.
Buses — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Questions: With no rail links in North Cornwall the public are pushed on to rural buses, and they welcome the new One public transport system, which specifically allocates money for things like the £1 around town initiative, which will be really beneficial for many of my rural constituents. Can the Minister confirm the benefits of the One public transport system, and is it possible to get direct buses to the general hospital from my major towns?
Stephen Crabb (Conservative, Centre-right): When pensioners in my constituency go to visit friends and family in England they find that their concessionary bus pass does not work, so will the Minister please speak to the Welsh Transport Minister about making the bus passes in Wales and England compatible? It surely cannot be a difficult problem to fix and it is regularly raised with me as a source of frustration among pensioners.
Buses — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Questions: With no rail links in North Cornwall the public are pushed on to rural buses, and they welcome the new One public transport system, which specifically allocates money for things like the £1 around town initiative, which will be really beneficial for many of my rural constituents. Can the Minister confirm the benefits of the One public transport system, and is it possible to get direct buses to the general hospital from my major towns?
Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani (Conservative, Centre-right): That is indeed not a difficult problem to fix and I am more than willing to sit down with my Welsh counterparts to ensure that that is done. We have made more than £1 billion available for concessionary bus passes, and it is absolutely key that older people and those with disabilities can use our public transport system.
Buses — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Questions: With no rail links in North Cornwall the public are pushed on to rural buses, and they welcome the new One public transport system, which specifically allocates money for things like the £1 around town initiative, which will be really beneficial for many of my rural constituents. Can the Minister confirm the benefits of the One public transport system, and is it possible to get direct buses to the general hospital from my major towns?
Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani (Conservative, Centre-right): It is remarkable that the hon. Gentleman, who represents a Reading constituency, will not even recognise the progress that has been made with local bus services in Reading, where numbers are going up. Even in places such as Liverpool, where better packages have been put together for younger people, numbers are definitely going up. I am more than happy to come to the Dispatch Box and talk about the new £220 million fund that is being made available. The hon. Gentleman talks about bus fares. They are indeed an issue for local authorities and train operating companies to take up, but unfortunately, the Opposition Front Bench has forgotten its history; when it was in office, bus fares went up twice as fast as they have under this Government.
No-deal Brexit: Airports — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): Flights between the UK and the EU will continue whatever the outcome of our EU exit. We are working with airports to ensure that freight can continue to flow, and that any disruption to passengers is kept to a minimum. Aviation security in the UK will remain among the best in the world and passengers will not notice any change to airport security screening at UK airports as a result of EU exit.
No-deal Brexit: Airports — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): The first obvious point is that if the hon. Lady voted for the deal, we would go into the revised political declaration, which commits both the parties to uphold high "safety and security" standards and make arrangements to maintain close co-operation between the CAA and EASA. However, the Commission has already published proposals to extend its contingency measures for aviation until October 2020, were we to leave without a deal.
Transport Infrastructure: London Region — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): Transport in the Greater London area is devolved to the Mayor and delivered on his behalf by TfL. The Department continues to fund investment in major transport projects benefiting London, such as Crossrail and the Thameslink upgrade. The Department is also working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to plan transport infrastructure as part of sustainable house building, particularly through the housing infrastructure fund and the garden communities programme.
Transport Infrastructure: London Region — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Damian Howard Green (Conservative, Centre-right): High Speed 1 is one of the most successful pieces of infrastructure at enabling commuting into London. Indeed, it is so successful and reliable that many services, particularly at peak hours, are massively overcrowded. In the Department’s radical look at the future of the rail network, will Ministers consider the provision of extra rolling stock on HS1, so that my constituents in Ashford and people in other places along the lines can have more comfortable journeys to and from work?
Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): On 23 July 2019, the Government announced a review of the available evidence to see whether a more flexible approach to the regulations permitting the use of red flashing lights by road recovery operators may be appropriate. The Department is in the process of commissioning the study, and a decision to review the regulations will be taken once the study has reported.
Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Tracey Elizabeth Anne Crouch (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful for that response. The partner of my constituent Sam was killed while recovering a vehicle on the M25. Since then, she and others have been campaigning for the roadside recovery industry to be able to use red lights, rather than amber, during recoveries. The police and others have now dropped their objections, and the science shows a difference in reactions to amber light and red light, so will the Minister now give the green light to the change?
Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate my hon. Friend on her campaign, and the whole House sends its condolences to her constituent. Our motorways are actually the safest roads, but she raises an important point. If the public feel that the use of red lights will help them feel safer, we will be minded, after looking at the evidence, to approve the change.
Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, I would be delighted to meet the hon. Lady, as will the Roads Minister, Baroness Vere. I am also delighted to confirm that the Secretary of State will be announcing a short review so that we can deal with that problem quickly.
Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman makes a good point. We are going to take a quick look at the evidence and introduce a framework to ensure that people are safe on the edges of our motorways and that drivers know that the right regulations have been put in place for them.
Transport Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): Since 2015, we have doubled our capital investment in the transport system, and we are investing over £72 billion in transport infrastructure in the five years to 2020-21. The Prime Minister has set out his commitment to enhancing and levelling up connectivity across the country and, as such, we are investing an average of £248 per person in the north, compared with £236 per person in the south.
Transport Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Craig Paul Tracey (Conservative, Centre-right): One of the main projects that has been identified as essential for future economic growth in the midlands is the A5 upgrade in north Warwickshire. Will the Minister commit to working with me, the A5 partnership and Midlands Connect to help deliver these vital improvements?
Transport Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Fiona Claire Bruce (Conservative, Centre-right): Middlewich is clearly on the Government’s map for both road and rail investment, with £50 million for a bypass and funding for the business case for reopening the railway station. Will the Minister assure me that both projects are continuing at pace, and will he meet me to discuss it?
Transport Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, I am delighted to reassure my hon. Friend that we will make sure the pace is kept up and that the change in political control does not slow it down. We will make a decision on the final funding once a business case has been properly considered On the reinstatement of passenger rail services via Middlewich, my officials are now working with local partners on the development of that business case, which we will consider with Transport for the North.
Transport Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): The A64, which runs through my constituency and the constituency of my right hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr Goodwill), is desperately in need of dualling. Will the Minister answer the calls of all MPs, businesses, local authorities, residents and hundreds of thousands of tourists and commit to this very important project?
Transport Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend has been a tireless campaigner for the A64, and I can assure him that his message, both today and in his various correspondence and meetings, has been heard loud and clear. We will shortly be announcing the second road investment strategy, as promised in the first. We have plans for the A64, so I urge him just to wait for a few weeks and months.
Transport Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady makes an excellent point—I have a railway station in my constituency that is in desperate need of disability access—and that is why we have launched the Access for All programme. We will be looking to make sure that all those stations with the most urgent access challenges are sorted in the right order.
Transport Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): I note the omission of thanks for the major package of investment in bus infrastructure, and I simply make the point that the Mayor has those powers. I am leading the Department’s work on smart ticketing, and we are keen to see Transport for the North and the Mayor lead that programme so people in that area can have integrated ticketing.
Transport Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): The Department shares the disappointment that the new rolling stock has been delayed. Pacer trains are not fit for purpose for the 21st century. Northern retired the first of its 102 Pacers in August, and it plans to remove two thirds by December 2019. Northern advises that, subject to receiving appropriate dispensation, up to 34 Pacers will remain in the fleet, but I assure the hon. Gentleman that we are determined to make sure the fleet is properly modernised.
Heathrow Airport: Third Runway — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Paul Christopher Maynard (Conservative, Centre-right): My Department and the Civil Aviation Authority have conducted assurance work on the financing and affordability of expansion proposals. This has concluded that, so far as can be assessed at this stage and assuming current market conditions, Heathrow is in principle able to privately finance expansion, but we will continue to monitor this as plans mature.
Heathrow Airport: Third Runway — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Adam Afriyie (Conservative, Centre-right): Given the compounding costs and constraints on a third runway at Heathrow, it seems unlikely that it will ever be built. What Heathrow has succeeded in doing is blocking its more competitive rivals from building extra capacity. In that light, when will the Government review their decision?
Heathrow Airport: Third Runway — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Paul Christopher Maynard (Conservative, Centre-right): The airports national policy includes a requirement that any developers should demonstrate that their scheme is cost-efficient and sustainable, and that it seeks to minimise costs over its lifetime. It is a responsibility of scheme developers to follow the process set out in the Planning Act 2008 and to submit proposals to the Planning Inspectorate. We will consider the merits of potential schemes before referring them to the decision-making Minister with the recommendation.
Heathrow Airport: Third Runway — House of Commons, 2019-10-24
Topic: Transportation
Paul Christopher Maynard (Conservative, Centre-right): The prudent thing for the relevant Minister to do is stick within the airports national policy, which was endorsed by this House with a large majority, and the decision by the House to back a third runway at Heathrow, which was also endorsed by an overwhelming majority.