Contributions
939 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Rail Ticket OfficesI have stated the position with regard to redundancies. A deal is on the table but the RMT will not give it to its members to make a determination. It included a commitment to no…06 Jul 2023HANSARD Rail Ticket OfficesI will be looking to speak to the Scottish Executive. In Scotland, similar proposals have, as I understand it, been rolled out to a number of ticket stations by ScotRail. I want…06 Jul 2023HANSARD Rail Ticket OfficesI will certainly do so, with my right hon. and learned Friend, and I will share a bit of experience that led me to want more in this direction. I need to get a weekly travel card,…06 Jul 2023HANSARD Rail Ticket OfficesIt is not the ticket office but the expert people in it who assist passengers. With these proposals, the train operators are looking to free up people from behind the glass, often…06 Jul 2023HANSARD Rail Ticket OfficesAgain, I point to the accessibility stats. There was a 68% increase in the number of passengers who needed assistance at stations, so it surely makes sense to free up people who…06 Jul 2023HANSARD Rail Ticket OfficesWe will certainly be working with the train operators to ensure that passengers are not inconvenienced. As I mentioned, 43% of stations do not have ticket offices right now, and…06 Jul 2023HANSARD Rail Ticket OfficesThe hon. Gentleman is absolutely right: customer care is at the forefront of this change. At the moment, a customer can go to a station and purchase a ticket from an office behind…06 Jul 2023HANSARD Rail Ticket OfficesYes. I thank my hon. Friend for his question. I hope that these changes will lead to more face-to-face interaction, because those who work on the railway and provide such…06 Jul 2023HANSARD Rail Ticket OfficesI am putting the travelling public first when I make these points. What the right hon. Lady and others cannot deny, despite saying it cannot be believed, is that 10 years ago one…06 Jul 2023HANSARD Rail Ticket OfficesAs part of this process, a number of stations will not be included. They tend to be bigger hub stations, as we call them, so Edinburgh is not included in that regard. I may be in…06 Jul 2023HANSARD Rail Ticket OfficesI can give my hon. Friend that assurance. I would certainly be delighted to meet him and any other hon. and right hon. Members who wish to meet me to discuss this issue. Again,…06 Jul 2023HANSARD Rail Ticket OfficesYes, I can. I thank my hon. Friend for his points. I know that he has busy stations and will want to ensure that his constituents are looked after. The very first meeting that I…06 Jul 2023HANSARDRobert Stephenson and Company: 200th AnniversaryIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Nokes. I thank the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central (Chi Onwurah) for securing this important debate on the potential…05 Jul 2023HANSARDRobert Stephenson and Company: 200th AnniversaryWe are focused on the 200th year of the delivery of the railway. It is one of those matters where we get the title of the debate, think it through and think, “This is our…05 Jul 2023HANSARDRobert Stephenson and Company: 200th AnniversaryOkay, Ms Nokes—we will do just that. Of course, I will be stopped if you feel I am going off track, as it were. The focus of Railway 200 is growth and renewal. The growth of the…05 Jul 2023HANSARDRobert Stephenson and Company: 200th AnniversaryI apologise, Ms Nokes. I love debates in which we can talk about the matters at hand. We of course roam around, which is absolutely right, but I will say that if hon. Members get…05 Jul 2023HANSARDHigh Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill: Second Additional ProvisionOn 9 March 2023, the Secretary of State for Transport restated the Government commitment to building HS2 between London Euston and Manchester. Continuing to progress the High…03 Jul 2023HANSARD East Birmingham Tram LineI thank the right hon. Member for making that point. He is absolutely right. To continue to make the case for HS2—I will certainly do so, and I am grateful that he is doing…26 Jun 2023HANSARD East Birmingham Tram LineI thank the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Liam Byrne) for securing this debate and for his representations regarding transport services and growth opportunities in…26 Jun 2023HANSARDHigh Speed 2 Parliamentary ReportI am reporting continued progress on High Speed 2 (HS2) with the Government’s sixth update on HS2 to Parliament. The Government remain committed to delivering HS2 from London…19 Jun 2023