Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to improve the rail network and services between London and Stafford.

Claire Perry

As part of the Rail Investment Strategy, Network Rail has delivered a package of major infrastructure improvements in the Stafford area. This includes the grade separation of Norton Bridge junction – which was been brought into use almost 12 months early this May – and has created additional capacity for services on the West Coast Main Line.

Rail services between Stafford and London are currently provided by the West Midlands and InterCity West Coast franchises. These franchises are due be replaced when they expire in October 2017 and April 2018 respectively. The Department has completed a consultation in respect of the replacement West Midlands franchise, and commenced another in respect of InterCity West Coast earlier this month. The outcomes of those consultations will be published in due course.

Looking to the future, HS2 will deliver high-speed services between London and Stafford from 2026.