argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
South-eastern Rail Franchise — House of Commons, 2018-01-24
Topic: Transportation
Matthew Thomas Pennycook (Labour, Centre-left): If the hon. Lady will forgive me, I will not, because time is short and the Minister has to wind up the debate At the very least, the Department should guarantee that the service standards delivered by the new south-eastern franchise match those that would have been delivered by London Overground. My fear is not only that the new franchise will not match those standards, but that it could lead to a deterioration in the services on which my constituents rely Slipped out alongside an announcement that it will look at reopening lines across the UK that were lost under the Beeching cuts, the Department published its invitation to tender for the new franchise on 29 November 2017. With one operator, Trenitalia, having withdrawn from the process, there are now only three operators bidding: Abellio, Stagecoach and the current operator, Govia As expected, given the instant and, I suspect, co-ordinated opposition they generated from Conservative politicians across south-east London and Kent, proposals that all metro services on the North Kent, Greenwich and Bexleyheath lines will terminate only at Cannon Street have been dropped, but that does not mean all services on those lines will escape cuts under the Government’s franchise specification The requirements set out in the ITT include the introduction of a revised train service, no later than 2022, that will see Woolwich and Charlton stations in my constituency lose direct services to Charing Cross, and Blackheath station, along with other stations on the Bexleyheath line, lose direct services to Victoria. Those revisions come on top of the proposed replacement of two of the six hourly off-peak Southeastern services on the line with Thameslink services that I fear might be slower and less reliable and that will not stop at Woolwich Dockyard station in my constituency or at Erith and Belvedere stations in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Thamesmead (Teresa Pearce).
South-eastern Rail Franchise — House of Commons, 2018-01-24
Topic: Transportation
Clive Stanley Efford (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend is making a powerful case. Does he agree that the Government’s reason for terminating Victoria services on the Bexleyheath line—that the services somehow create problems because they have to cross over and that the complexity is not surmountable by modern technology or signalling—is an excuse? The people who run the service are benefiting at the expense of the passengers who use it.
South-eastern Rail Franchise — House of Commons, 2018-01-24
Topic: Transportation
Matthew Thomas Pennycook (Labour, Centre-left): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Far too much is made of the problems that undoubtedly exist at the throat point at Lewisham. Those problems do not ground the proposed service revisions under the franchise specification.
South-eastern Rail Franchise — House of Commons, 2018-01-24
Topic: Transportation
Teresa Pearce (Labour, Centre-left): I thank my hon. Friend for securing this important debate. What he says about Belvedere and Erith stations in my constituency is true: services to Charing Cross will be stopped and the Thameslink will not stop there. There are substantial new housing developments, and the people who move in will stand on the platforms at Belvedere and Erith and watch trains whizz past them, with no way for them to get to work.
South-eastern Rail Franchise — House of Commons, 2018-01-24
Topic: Transportation
Heidi Alexander (Labour, Centre-left): The Minister talked about Lewisham station as an interchange. While he is right that it is compliant with disability legislation, it is a severely constrained station. Will he say what money, if any, his Department has allocated to renovating and refurbishing Lewisham station to accommodate increased numbers there?
Rail Fares — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Graham Peter Jones (Labour, Centre-left): What plans does the Minister have to ensure that split ticketing does not erode trust in the rail fare system? How can he ensure that ticket machines on the East Lancs line provide the cheapest option to passengers when there are not necessarily offices to buy tickets from?
Rail Fares — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Peter John Kyle (Labour, Centre-left): I am grateful for the Minister’s letter of this week, saying that his Department is taking on extra resource to simplify the fare structure on the Brighton main line. Will he reassure passengers in the area that that simplification will involve the rounding down of fares, not just rounding up? Will he also tell passengers when they can expect the review to complete?
West Coast Main Line — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What his policy is on the operation of passenger services on the west coast main line after the completion of High Speed 2; and if he will make a statement.
Barry John Sheerman (Labour, Centre-left): The Secretary of State knows well that I believe that HS2 is a vanity project that will never come to fruition. He knows that my constituents in the booming town of Huddersfield, which he visited recently, have access to the west coast line and the east coast line, but most of all they want a good trans-Pennine connection everywhere.
HS2: Chesterfield Canal Land Purchase — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What information his Department holds on plans by HS2 Ltd to purchase land close to Chesterfield canal; and if he will make a statement.
Matthew Toby Perkins (Labour, Centre-left): HS2 is an incredibly important regeneration project, but so is Chesterfield canal, which has had five years of blight, being unable to make applications because of the uncertainty around HS2. Near the maintenance depot that is proposed for Staveley, there is a piece of land currently owned by Network Rail that needs to pass over to HS2. May I encourage the Minister to ask HS2 to get on with taking over ownership of that land so that Chesterfield canal can finally put forward plans to apply for new funding and reduce that blight?
HS2: Chesterfield Canal Land Purchase — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What information his Department holds on plans by HS2 Ltd to purchase land close to Chesterfield canal; and if he will make a statement.
Dennis Edward Skinner (Labour, Centre-left): Two HS2 lines go through Derbyshire—the one that goes through Newton and the other that is now apparently going to create difficulties on Chesterfield canal. We have heard reference to the question of the real cost of HS2, as it changes quite often. What is the latest cost, taking into account those two railway tracks through Derbyshire?
HS2: Chesterfield Canal Land Purchase — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What information his Department holds on plans by HS2 Ltd to purchase land close to Chesterfield canal; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): The Secretary of State is supporting the sale of Network Rail’s property assets. The Federation of Small Businesses says that this will put small companies out of business because the new private owner will rapidly rack up rents, which will restrict key developments in places such as Chesterfield. Does he not see that the sell-off will lose the railway valuable and vitally important income?
HS2: Chesterfield Canal Land Purchase — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What information his Department holds on plans by HS2 Ltd to purchase land close to Chesterfield canal; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): In 2015, the DFT accepted Sir Peter Hendy’s plan to sell £1.8 billion of Network Rail property. These assets are now worth only £1 billion but generate £90 million of revenue each year. How can the Secretary of State still argue that this sell-off of the family silver makes sense? Is it not clear that his plan will cost Network Rail and British taxpayers dearly?
Regional Spending — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Chinyelu Susan Onwurah (Labour, Centre-left): Since 2010, transport spending in London has been more than twice that in the whole of the north, and the Government’s own northern powerhouse says that underinvestment stops us exploiting strengths in manufacturing, energy, health and digital, which could transform the lives of my constituents. The Minister’s own Transport for the North says that it will cost £27 billion to transform the north’s economy by taking advantage of those strengths: will he commit to funding it?
Aircraft Noise: Heathrow — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Ruth Margaret Cadbury (Labour, Centre-left): A freedom of information request revealed Government analysis that expects nearly a million households to face increased daytime noise if Heathrow is allowed to build a third runway. Will the Secretary of State visit my constituents, tens of thousands of whom will face significantly worse noise if the third runway goes ahead, and for whom no amount of noise insulation will be acceptable?
Electric Vehicles: Public Charging Points — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Energy
Kerry Gillian McCarthy (Labour, Centre-left): It is very welcome that the Government are looking at alternative fuels. Will the Minister agree to place in the House of Commons Library a summary of the grants, incentive payments and similar subsidies being paid out by his Department in respect of each of the different alternatives being explored?
Leaving the EU: Aviation Industry — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Thangam Elizabeth Rachel Debbonaire (Labour, Centre-left): Snorting with derision may be the response the Secretary of State has had, but people in my constituency who work in the aviation industry are really concerned about how we are going to function outwith the European Aviation Safety Agency. Will he please tell us a bit more about how we are going to function outwith the EASA?
Midland Main Line: Rolling Stock — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Clive James Charles Betts (Labour, Centre-left): In the written statement that the Secretary of State made on 20 July, he promised, when cancelling electrification of the midland main line, "a brand new fleet of bi-mode…trains from 2022".—[Official Report, 20 July 2017; Vol. 627, c. 72WS.] We seem to have gained a year somehow. The National Audit Office then said in a report from 29 March: "In the case of Midland Main Line, bi-mode trains with the required speed and acceleration did not exist when the Secretary of State made his decision", and that the Department had informed him of that. I ask the Secretary of State or the Minister why the Secretary of State promised in his written statement to deliver bi-modal trains, which he knew not merely did not exist but had not even been developed. That is the situation. Why, at the time, did he not give the House the full facts instead of leading us to believe something that possibly was not true and was corrected only when the NAO produced its report?
Midland Main Line: Rolling Stock — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Paul Christopher Blomfield (Labour, Centre-left): I am sorry, but that answer simply will not do. In relation to the midland main line, the NAO report reveals that at the time when the decision was made, the Secretary of State knew that bi-mode trains had "a poorer investment case" than electrification and would be worse polluters—actually, 25 times worse for carbon emissions. He also knew that the rolling stock required for that line—this is the crucial point in relation to the Minister’s response—would not exist, yet none of that information was in his statement to the House cancelling electrification. Does the Minister not accept that those were serious omissions?
Great Western Main Line: Electrification — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Questions: What discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the cancellation of the electrification of the Great Western main line between Cardiff and Swansea.
Rachael Helen Maskell (Labour, Centre-left): Facts matter. In a written statement on 20 July last year, the Secretary of State said that with bi-mode trains it would be possible to "achieve the same significant improvements to journeys".—[Official Report, 20 July 2017; Vol. 627, c. 72WS.] However, as we have heard from my hon. Friends the Members for Sheffield South East (Mr Betts) and for Sheffield Central (Paul Blomfield), it is clear from National Audit Office reports that that statement cannot be correct.
Rail Reform — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Martin David Whitfield (Labour, Centre-left): Tarmac’s Dunbar cement plant in East Lothian transports substantial amounts of its product down the east coast main line to London to fuel the construction industry here. What steps is the Minister taking, as part of his plan, to facilitate better engagement between passengers, rail freight users and Network Rail commuters?
South-east London Metro Routes — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Clive Stanley Efford (Labour, Centre-left): Mr Speaker, may I associate myself and my hon. Friends with your kind words to my constituency neighbour, the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill), and wish him all the best When I arrived at my station this morning, they were handing out free copies of fiction: the Southeastern rail timetable. It is fiction because of not just the performance of Southeastern, but the poor infrastructure that we have to endure. We have spent £1 billion upgrading London Bridge, and it is a magnificent project, but unfortunately we have seen broken rails and the breakdown of signals last week and the week before, and there was another stranded train outside St Johns station on 5 April. This is not good enough: we need to upgrade the infrastructure around London Bridge, otherwise all the money will have been wasted.
South-east London Metro Routes — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Matthew Thomas Pennycook (Labour, Centre-left): Like my colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Clive Efford), I wish the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) all the best After years of disruption due to the London Bridge rebuild, passengers discovered last week that Greenwich line evening services will not be of the frequency previously advertised after May because, according to Southeastern, it does not have enough drivers. Can Ministers do anything about this frankly risible situation?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Questions: Following the delays to electrification, Arriva has announced a new timetable downgrading the train service between my constituency of Southport and south Manchester, which will have significant consequences for Southport’s residents and its local economy. What reassurances can my right hon. Friend provide to my constituents and rail passengers along that line who are now having to make difficult choices about where they live and work as a result of this downgrading?
Mathew Richard Allen Rodda (Labour, Centre-left): With free bus travel for the under-25s estimated at £1.4 billion a year, why is the Minister opposing a scheme that could benefit up to 13 million young people, saving them up to £1,000 each a year, at a time when they face significant financial hardship due to tuition fees and the high cost of living?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Questions: Following the delays to electrification, Arriva has announced a new timetable downgrading the train service between my constituency of Southport and south Manchester, which will have significant consequences for Southport’s residents and its local economy. What reassurances can my right hon. Friend provide to my constituents and rail passengers along that line who are now having to make difficult choices about where they live and work as a result of this downgrading?
Mathew Richard Allen Rodda (Labour, Centre-left): Can the Minister explain how she has calculated that figure of £13 billion? Research by University College London, which is widely accepted across the sector, shows that every individual person in the UK could be given free bus travel for £5 billion.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Questions: Following the delays to electrification, Arriva has announced a new timetable downgrading the train service between my constituency of Southport and south Manchester, which will have significant consequences for Southport’s residents and its local economy. What reassurances can my right hon. Friend provide to my constituents and rail passengers along that line who are now having to make difficult choices about where they live and work as a result of this downgrading?; Is the Department doing anything to monitor the effective spending of the additional money being given to councils to fix potholes, including the £262,000 that was given to Walsall Council?; Bristol City Council is considering five different options for clean air zones. Air pollution is estimated to kill 300 people a year in the city. What is the Minister doing to help councils to deliver on tackling air pollution?; Volunteer drivers in Wrexham, through wonderful charities like Dynamic and Chariotts, are very concerned about the impact of possible regulatory change, which may affect their ability to provide a vital service. Can the Minister reassure me that the position of volunteer drivers will not be affected by new changes?; There is mounting concern on the Clyde that an active programme is being undertaken by Peel Ports, which owns both the Clydeport authority and the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, to plough billions of pounds of investment into Merseyside at the expense of the Clyde, stifling investment in the Clyde’s port facilities. Will the Minister undertake an immediate investigation into anti-competitive practices in both of the UK’s two main west coast ports, as this is unacceptable?; Will the Minister tell us what recent research the Department has undertaken on whether shared space schemes without kerbs or controlled crossings are safe for people with vision impairments?
Daniel Stephen Zeichner (Labour, Centre-left): A few weeks ago, we had the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the free bus pass scheme for pensioners, which is a hugely popular policy. What efforts did the Department make to mark that anniversary? What assurances can the Minister give pensioners about the future of the scheme?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Questions: Following the delays to electrification, Arriva has announced a new timetable downgrading the train service between my constituency of Southport and south Manchester, which will have significant consequences for Southport’s residents and its local economy. What reassurances can my right hon. Friend provide to my constituents and rail passengers along that line who are now having to make difficult choices about where they live and work as a result of this downgrading?; Is the Department doing anything to monitor the effective spending of the additional money being given to councils to fix potholes, including the £262,000 that was given to Walsall Council?; Bristol City Council is considering five different options for clean air zones. Air pollution is estimated to kill 300 people a year in the city. What is the Minister doing to help councils to deliver on tackling air pollution?; Volunteer drivers in Wrexham, through wonderful charities like Dynamic and Chariotts, are very concerned about the impact of possible regulatory change, which may affect their ability to provide a vital service. Can the Minister reassure me that the position of volunteer drivers will not be affected by new changes?; There is mounting concern on the Clyde that an active programme is being undertaken by Peel Ports, which owns both the Clydeport authority and the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, to plough billions of pounds of investment into Merseyside at the expense of the Clyde, stifling investment in the Clyde’s port facilities. Will the Minister undertake an immediate investigation into anti-competitive practices in both of the UK’s two main west coast ports, as this is unacceptable?; Will the Minister tell us what recent research the Department has undertaken on whether shared space schemes without kerbs or controlled crossings are safe for people with vision impairments?; Evidence shows that regulating bus services can improve the service and boost passenger numbers, so why are this Government siding with bus companies, rather than bus passengers, by refusing councils the powers to take back control of local buses?
Karin Marguerite Smyth (Labour, Centre-left): The Hussey family and I are grateful for the Minister’s support following Freddie’s tragic death in 2014, and we will welcome him to Bristol next week for a trailer safety summit. On Tuesday, the other place agreed to improve trailer safety measures; is the Minister willing to share his view of their lordships’ decision?
Points of Order — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Joseph McDonald (Labour, Centre-left): On a point of order, Mr Speaker. We discussed in Transport questions the cancellation of line electrification throughout the country. The Secretary of State said in the recess last summer that the bi-mode alternatives could achieve the same significant improvements to journeys. The National Audit Office, on which we rely—it is not Opposition Members saying this—has said that "bi-mode trains with the required speed and acceleration" to meet the timetable "did not exist" The Secretary of State has had the opportunity today to correct the position. The two statements are mutually exclusive and he cannot maintain that position. It is important that Ministers of the Crown come to the Dispatch Box and say things that are grounded in fact. There is a danger, however inadvertent, that the House has been misled about these trains’ ability to deliver, as my hon. Friends have pointed out repeatedly, yet the Secretary of State will not take the opportunity to clarify the position. I seek your advice as to how that clarification might be achieved, Mr Speaker.
Cancer Treatment — House of Commons, 2018-04-19
Topic: Social Welfare
Wesley Paul William Streeting (Labour, Centre-left): I am so grateful to my hon. Friend for that additional time If Ministers cannot fund treatment, let us at least look at funding the flights, accommodation and all the additional costs that families face. It was remarkable listening to the comparison between what Tessa has been through and what Kaleigh’s family have been through in this respect. We need better care plans, advice and guidance. Scott has to do it all himself, to such an extent that he has become an adviser to families around the world on top of looking after his own children. We need to do a lot more to ensure consistency.
Support for Businesses and Entrepreneurs — House of Commons, 2018-05-22
Topic: Education
Barry John Sheerman (Labour, Centre-left): Surely the Chancellor knows that the thing holding back most businesses—small, medium-sized and large—is the lack of good skilled people to work for them. When is he going to give the Secretary of State for Education a good shaking and make him do something about the apprenticeship levy, apprenticeship schemes and the higher education graduate apprenticeship scheme?