Question
My London constituency does not have a tube service. My residents are entirely reliant on South Western Railway services to get to work, school and elsewhere. Stations such as Hampton and Whitton have seen passenger footfall close to or exceeding half a million in the last year, yet the services are infrequent and less reliable since nationalisation. Will the Secretary of State back my call, supported by thousands of local residents with the timetable review under way, for far more frequent and reliable services for such stations?
Answer
The hon. Lady is right to mention the timetable review that is under way. I would be happy to discuss with South Western the options with regard to Hampton and Whitton. I would just note that one of the benefits of renationalising South Western Railways has been the roll-out of the new Arterio fleet of air-conditioned trains that are providing more capacity. I also recognise the important work that South Western has done to reduce the number of cancellations that come about as a consequence of the unavailability of staff. We need to get the basics right on South Western to provide the service that she and her constituents deserve.20% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (28/100)
The reply acknowledges the ongoing timetable review and commits only to discussing 'options' for Hampton and Whitton with South Western Railway. It does not say whether the Secretary of State supports the call for more frequent and reliable services, which was the core of the question. The points about fleet and cancellations are largely beside the point, so the reply is mostly hedged and the person who asked would likely need to follow up for a clear position.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Secretary of State back the call for far more frequent and reliable rail services at stations such as Hampton and Whitton, including through the ongoing timetable review? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply acknowledges the ongoing timetable review and commits only to discussing 'options' for Hampton and Whitton with South Western, without saying whether the Secretary of State backs the call for more frequent and reliable services. The fleet and cancellation points in statements 3 and 4 are tangential, and statement 5 is rhetorical, so the core question of whether the department backs the call is left unresolved. |