Dame Harriett Baldwin calls on the Government to meet the management of West Midlands Railway to see what can be done to improve the performance on the important Birmingham to Hereford line which has seen a dramatic deterioration in its performance since the no-conditions, inflation-busting pay rise agreement.
Dame Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)
It is not electrified, Mr Speaker, but the west midlands railway line from Birmingham to Hereford has seen a dramatic deterioration in its performance since the Secretary of State agreed the no-conditions, inflation-busting pay rise with the strikers. Will the Minister agree to meet the management of West Midlands Railway to see what steps could be taken to improve the performance on that important line?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)
There have already been improvements in performance and a reduction in cancellations on the railway. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is working extremely hard to hold operators to account and to ensure that all our constituents enjoy a quality service from the railway. It is essential that we put passengers at the heart of it for the first time in a very long time.