argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Railway Stations: Accessibility — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady will know that most of our railway stations were built in an era when no thought was given to accessibility, let alone to parents and people with wheelchairs. That is why we have a £300 million fund, which is supporting over 73 stations, and another tier of £20 million for smaller upgrades. I know that there are two stations in her constituency in the review, and she will not have to be patient for much longer.
Railway Stations: Accessibility — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Nigel John Mills (Conservative, Centre-right): Will the Minister urge Network Rail to get on with the level access improvements at Alfreton station and urge East Midlands Railway to scrap its plans to end the direct train services to London from my constituency, which would make it harder for disabled passengers to get to stations south of Nottingham?
Railway Stations: Accessibility — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani (Conservative, Centre-right): I am a little cautious about the second point, but I will most definitely do what my hon. Friend asks on the first. Network Rail has a duty to make sure its stations have decent accessibility, and where there is no accessibility, the rail operating companies have a duty to make sure passengers can carry on with their journey.
Southeastern — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for his supplementary question. We have met and spoken about this issue in the past. He will know that I am completely focused on making sure that that franchise works and on whatever might happen on 1 April, but I am interested to hear the proposals going forward for the devolution of certain areas of Southeastern’s franchise.
Southeastern — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, I would be delighted to meet again to press ahead on this agenda. Obviously business cases and a host of other details need to be worked up with TfL, but I met Heidi Alexander, its deputy chairman, earlier this week and we had a conversation on the matter then.
Southeastern — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
John David Penrose (Conservative, Centre-right): Angry and frustrated passengers in the south-east and elsewhere will have been delighted to hear the Secretary of State say that rail franchising is not working anymore, but will the Minister confirm that swapping the uncaring private sector monopolies of franchising for the equally uncaring state monopoly of renationalisation will not help overcrowded or stranded passengers one bit? Will he accept that we need a new and third option in which passengers can choose between lots of different provider services on their line each day and switch to whichever one they like best, in the same way as they choose different brands of coffee or cornflakes instead of taking whatever they are given?
Southeastern — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): I hear what my hon. Friend says. There is an argument for open access on our railways. The Williams review, which will report in the near future, will provide an opportunity to debate the issue at quite some length. I very much look forward to having that debate with my hon. Friend because he has some positive ideas.
Rail Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): My Department is working closely with Network Rail, train operators and stakeholders to develop options for improving rail capacity and performance on the Castlefield corridor in Manchester. We completely understand that sorting out the capacity there is so important.
Rail Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Mark Clarkson (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Minister for that answer. The national railway network barely grazes my constituency, and Metrolink avoids it altogether. Does he agree that an extension of Metrolink and the welcome reversals of the Beeching cuts will be an important part of levelling-up the forgotten towns in the north-west such as Heywood and Middleton?
Rail Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome my hon. Friend to his seat. As a strong representative of Heywood and Middleton, he will be pleased to hear that we are very supportive of measures to improve public transport in large urban areas such as Greater Manchester, which is why we have provided £312.5 million to the Mayor through the transforming cities fund and agreed, through the mayoral devolution deal, an earn-back mechanism that supported the construction of the latest Metrolink extension to Trafford. We will continue to do further work in that field and hopefully extend Metrolink towards my hon. Friend’s constituency.
Rail Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): There is a fund for improving these things, but the right hon. Lady is absolutely right that accessibility on our railways is nowhere near as good as it should be in this day and age. We are trying to do much more with the train operating companies and Network Rail. I think she will be pleased to see what is said about accessibility in the Williams review White Paper when it comes forward.
Rail Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Philip Andrew Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): If the Government were to scrap HS2, which everybody knows is a catastrophic waste of money, we would have a huge amount available for more rail infrastructure in West Yorkshire and across the north—we need better infrastructure in the north and across the north. Northern Powerhouse Rail, or HS3, is much more important to us than HS2. What is the Government’s intended timetable for the completion of Northern Powerhouse Rail? Can the Minister guarantee that Bradford will have a city-centre stop on that route?
Rail Infrastructure — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are spending a huge amount of money on improving the infrastructure in the north. My hon. Friend will see lots of improvements in the Bradford area and the area he represents. On HS2 and the various other bits of infrastructure, it is not an either/or: they are additional investments that we are making in infrastructure.
Crossrail Delays — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Paul Christopher Maynard (Conservative, Centre-right): We should be a little cautious as the Department co-sponsors projects with TfL and works very closely with the Mayor of London, with TfL and with Heidi Alexander, who are very keen to see this project brought to a speedy conclusion for the benefit of all Londoners.
Crossrail Delays — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Gregory William Hands (Conservative, Centre-right): We also need to examine the role of the Mayor and chairman of TfL, Sadiq Khan, in this. In his just four years in the role, Crossrail has been delayed by three years. Does the Minister agree that the Mayor’s incompetent handling of TfL’s finances has exacerbated this terrible delay, and that it is time for new leadership in London under Shaun Bailey as London Mayor?
Crossrail Delays — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Government Operations
Paul Christopher Maynard (Conservative, Centre-right): I rather think that we will be having a lot of back and forth across this Chamber in the months to come with various mayoral contests. It is safe to say that on these Benches we are very keen to see Shaun Bailey as Mayor.
Oxford-Cambridge Expressway — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are completely committed to the east-west innovation corridor, the arc, and the Varsity line—one of the most exciting pieces of corridor infrastructure in the country. We are committed to the rail link, and, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has announced, we are looking closely at the business and sustainability case of the expressway.
Oxford-Cambridge Expressway — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): I am delighted to say that we are listening to all the representations that we have received. There will be an announcement coming very shortly. Let me reiterate that this is about our commitment to sustainable and integrated public transport with housing. That corridor is a vital housing and growth corridor and we want to make sure that it is sustainable transport that works for the benefit of the people who live there.
Oxford-Cambridge Expressway — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Joy Inboden Morrissey (Conservative, Centre-right): On infrastructure and paying in, we in Iver in Beaconsfield receive very little money for transport infrastructure. We would love to see our footpaths and our roads used, but we simply do not have the money coming in from bodies such as TfL. Will the Minister look into expanding investment in places like Iver, so that we can have an Iver relief road and actually get the south of Bucks moving again?
Oxford-Cambridge Expressway — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman is bowling outside my off stump, but he knows that we are deeply committed to rail, to connectivity, and to sustainable transport. I cannot pre-empt the Secretary of State’s announcement on the expressway, but let me be very clear: we are committed to sustainable integration of housing with public transport, and that rail link is an absolute priority.
Oxford-Cambridge Expressway — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Greg Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): My constituents were very relieved when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State visited Verney Junction during the general election and said that there would be a priority review of the expressway. He gave a commitment that were the expressway to be cancelled, funds would be made available for improvements to existing roads. Can my hon. Friend give an assurance that, should it be cancelled, those funds will be available?
Foot and Bicycle Journeys — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): As the Minister for the future of transport, I am committed both to creating a framework for UK leadership in transport technology and innovation and to bolder measures for place-based cleaner, greener and healthier transport and decarbonisation. I am delighted that, as a result of the £2 billion that we invested during the previous Parliament, we have seen a 13% increase in cycling and walking, and we are committed to a 100% increase over this Parliament.[Official Report, 10 February 2020, Vol. 671, c. 8MC.]
Foot and Bicycle Journeys — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): As the new Minister for the decarbonisation of transport, I can say that the Government are absolutely committed to this, and we have a cycling Prime Minister who is committed to it. We have announced £350 million for cycling infrastructure. As I have said, we are completely committed over this Parliament to doubling the number of people cycling and walking.[Official Report, 10 February 2020, Vol. 671, c. 8MC.]
Foot and Bicycle Journeys — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Virginia Ann Crosbie (Conservative, Centre-right): Cycling is extremely popular in my constituency of Ynys Môn, with its 125 miles of stunning coastline and unspoilt countryside. Can my hon. Friend confirm that the Government are committed to doubling cycling by 2025, and what difference does he think the £350 million cycling infrastructure fund will make in achieving that?
Foot and Bicycle Journeys — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Timothy Paul Loughton (Conservative, Centre-right): Very complementary to cycling and walking are electric scooters, which are increasingly popular and commonplace in cities across the continent—they have just been legalised in Germany—yet they remain illegal in this country. Can we at last have a review to regularise the situation, because they are environmentally friendly and could make a huge contribution to reducing congestion, and it is a hip and cool thing to do?
Foot and Bicycle Journeys — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
George William Freeman (Conservative, Centre-right): Again, I seem to be a purveyor of good news. My hon. Friend will be delighted to know that as part of our innovation strategy we will shortly be announcing that we want to test scooters as part of a mixed economy for sustainable transport.
Train Fares — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government have frozen regulated rail fares in line with inflation for the seventh year in a row. In addition, we have already cut costs for thousands of young people with the 16-to-17 saver railcard and announced a new railcard for veterans, which is to be launched later this year. All those measures help encourage people to travel more by train.
Train Fares — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government cap around 45% of all rail fares, including most season tickets, to protect passengers who rely on the railway from high fares. Of every £1 spent on fares, 98p goes back into our railways. That is an investment in the railways; they are actually not bad value for money.
Train Fares — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): We have a very ambitious transport decarbonisation plan and we want to do better, as the Minister for the future of transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Norfolk (George Freeman), has outlined already—so yes, we do think we have the right approach to decarbonise transport by 2050.
Train Fares — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Luke Morgan Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): Many of my constituents in Hinckley and Bosworth are often confused and frustrated by the rail ticketing system, and no doubt many people in the rest of the country are too. I wonder if the Minister would agree that simplifying rail tickets by moving away from splitting fares, or super off-peak and off-peak tickets, may well make things better and make people more likely to consider travelling by rail?
Train Fares — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend, who is a near neighbour of mine, for his excellent question. We are currently trialling a new, simpler fares structure with London North Eastern Railway, and will use the findings to inform the development of wider plans to improve fares. This will be a big part of the Williams review White Paper that will be published shortly.
Train Fares — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): The obvious way to get around this problem is to ensure that trains actually arrive on time. That is the ultimate aim of all that we do in this area at the Department for Transport. We have rolled out the Delay Repay scheme across the vast majority of the network, and it is working. However, we are going to spend £48 billion over the course of the next five years to try to ensure that we have the infrastructure in place to make the trains run on time. That has to be the ultimate goal.
Decarbonising Transport — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Energy
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): Now that so much energy—over half of it, last year—is being produced on a renewable basis, it is essential that transport reduces its greenhouse gas emissions, as it accounts for about a third of total emissions.
Decarbonising Transport — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Robert Goodwill (Conservative, Centre-right): We have seen great progress in battery technology for light vehicles, but decarbonising road freight is going to be a much more difficult nut to crack. Does the Secretary of State think that we need to look at options such as hydrogen technology for trucks, or even freeing up space on our rail network by building HS2?
Decarbonising Transport — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Energy
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): Let me be drawn on the first part of that question, if I may. My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. Hydrogen technology is very important for heavier vehicles and potentially for trains, whereas it is battery technology for cars. We are working and funding both.
Decarbonising Transport — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Questions: I thank the Secretary of State for listening to my call last July and bringing Northern Rail back into public ownership from 1 March. When the trains do arrive on the Harrogate line through my constituency, they are dirty diesel trains. Will he commit to electrifying the Harrogate line so that we can have carbon-neutral travel?
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): On the hon. Gentleman’s specific point, I have asked the operator of last resort to do a deep clean of all the trains from 1 March, and that there should be a proper schedule in place and they are cleaned. It is disgraceful that they should ever be turning up dirty in the first place. There are also new trains coming on to the network. As part of yesterday’s announcement, next year trains will be brought up from elsewhere on to the network as well.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Grant Shapps (Conservative, Centre-right): I am pleased to confirm that today the Government will announce the preferred route for the Bedford to Cambridge section of East West Rail. Following public consultation, we have accepted the East West Rail Company’s recommendation that route E, which runs from Bedford Midland—a new station between Sandy and St Neots—to a new station at Cambourne and through to Cambridge, will be taken forward to the next stage of development.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Anthony Howe Browne (Conservative, Centre-right): All five proposed routes for East West Rail pass through my constituency. South Cambridgeshire has a town, Cambourne, that is so gridlocked that in rush hour, although it is only 10 miles from Cambridge, it can take people an hour to get to work. Will the Secretary of State support the East West Rail route going through Cambourne so that we can get South Cambs moving again?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Labor
Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani (Conservative, Centre-right): I am aware of this case; it was brought to my attention. The hon. Gentleman will know that I regularly meet up with Mick Cash. I am due to meet him quite shortly. I have raised the case with the UK Chamber of Shipping. The hon. Gentleman will know, as he represents a port constituency, that last year we signed ILO 188, a convention that ensures the rights of seafarers—everything about their basic needs, whether it is the time they should be sleeping, where their sleeping spaces should be, mealtimes, or decent pay. There are some contradictions between the cases that he presented and what the UK Chamber of Shipping is putting forward, so I suggest, if he finds it appropriate, that we sit down with the chamber and P&O to thrash this out.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Questions:   When the Secretary of State meets the Prime Minister and the Chancellor later to discuss HS2, will he stress that it is of course all about capacity, but also that it is not either/or, because as well as HS2, we need the TransPennine upgrade, Northern Powerhouse Rail, a direct Huddersfield to London service, and an upgrade to the Huddersfield-Penistone-Sheffield line? This would show this Government’s real, true commitment to levelling up our country and our economy.
Paul Christopher Maynard (Conservative, Centre-right): Like any good northerner, I read my newspapers from the sports pages backwards, so I have not got to the HS2 stories yet and cannot really comment on what they might include. We need a drumbeat of improvement across the north in our rail investment, starting with the TransPennine rail upgrade, moving on to Northern Powerhouse Rail, and then who knows what next?
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-01-30
Topic: Transportation
Questions:   When the Secretary of State meets the Prime Minister and the Chancellor later to discuss HS2, will he stress that it is of course all about capacity, but also that it is not either/or, because as well as HS2, we need the TransPennine upgrade, Northern Powerhouse Rail, a direct Huddersfield to London service, and an upgrade to the Huddersfield-Penistone-Sheffield line? This would show this Government’s real, true commitment to levelling up our country and our economy.; I would also like to wish the Minister a happy rail nationalisation day. I was rather anticipating a statement on it today, but I thank him for the letter that was sent giving some details. In preparation for the handover in March, will he look at capacity issues? All too often, the line is overcrowded, and trains have only two carriages, particularly on the Durham Coast line through my constituency. When I contact Northern Rail, it says that it simply does not have the carriages. Can we please ensure that we invest in the necessary rolling stock to provide people with the service they need?
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. There is a huge amount of new rolling stock coming on to the Northern network, which will take off all the Pacers by the end of May. However, I would be delighted to meet him to talk about those issues, because there is a job of work to be done.