Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Paul Truswell (Labour). It was answered on Thursday, 29 October 2009 on behalf of the Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Grand Committee.

Trans-Pennine Rail Services

Question: My right hon. Friend will be aware that the 2007 rail White Paper and the high level output specification recognised that overcrowding on rail services in Leeds and west Yorkshire was among the worst in the entire country. Partly as a result, there was a proposal for Northern Rail to receive an extra 182 carriages. We understand that that figure has now been halved. Will the Minister tell us what representation she is making on behalf of Leeds and west Yorkshire to her colleagues in the Department for Transport to get extra carriages for the area, so that we can tackle the scourge of overcrowding and the so-called sardine syndrome on an equitable worst-first basis?

Answer: My hon. Friend is right to draw attention to the overcrowding and difficulties on that line. I think the HLOS report set a journey-time requirement of 43 minutes between Manchester and Leeds. I understand that Network Rail is currently looking at the infrastructure schemes and the timetables needed to deliver that. He is also right to say that there was an issue of rolling stock. That is why Yorkshire Forward—along with Government investment—committed funding to providing extra carriages. The Secretary of State for Transport visited Leeds in July and my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, East and Mexborough and I met him and representatives of local authorities and Northern Way to discuss a number of the problems that commuters experience on the lines. The Secretary of State undertook to consider the problems, and we will follow that up with him.

Secondary information