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Written question asked by Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 27 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 29 January 2026. It was answered by Simon Lightwood (Labour) on Tuesday, 10 February 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Railways: Landslips

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to mitigate the risk of landslips affecting railway infrastructure in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answer

Network Rail, as the owner and operator of Britain’s railway infrastructure, is responsible for managing geotechnical risks and ensuring the safe and reliable operation of the network, including in Surrey and the Surrey Heath constituency. It undertakes continuous monitoring of high-risk sites, regular inspections, and targeted earthworks renewals to reduce the likelihood and impact of landslips.‑risk sites, regular inspections, and targeted earthworks renewals to reduce the likelihood and impact of landslips.

In the South East, Network Rail has recently strengthened its earthworks resilience programme, including enhanced drainage, slope stabilisation works and the use of remote monitoring technology to identify movement at an early stage. Following the extreme weather over the last year, Network Rail has also carried out additional precautionary inspections to prioritise any sites where further intervention may be required. My department maintains regular oversight of Network Rail’s national resilience programme through its funding settlements and business planning processes.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
108990
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Railways Surrey Landslips
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk