Old Oak Common Station Construction: South-west Travel Disruption

Jayne Kirkham, the Labour/Co-op MP for Truro and Falmouth, asked the Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, what steps she is taking to help mitigate disruption to rail passengers travelling to the south-west when construction of Old Oak Common station begins. The Transport Secretary acknowledged the legacy of transport failure left by the previous government on High Speed 2, with costs spiralling and communities being ignored. She stated that her department is working with the rail industry to minimise disruption during the construction of Old Oak Common station, including a £30 million investment in mitigations to allow services to continue operating. In a follow-up, Kirkham agreed that the railway in the south-west is too slow, too fragile and too expensive, and asked the Transport Secretary if she agrees that the new HS2 station will mean slower and more disrupted journeys. Kirkham requested a meeting with the Transport Secretary and a delegation of south-west MPs to discuss the mitigation of the legacy inherited from the previous government, to ensure that the south-west does not suffer now and in the future due to the disruption. The Transport Secretary responded that she would be delighted to meet with Kirkham to discuss the mitigations, and that efforts will be made to minimise the impact on passengers, including trains terminating at either Ealing Broadway or Reading. Dr Ben Spencer, the Conservative MP for Runnymede and Weybridge, then raised the issue of traffic delays at level crossings in Egham, Addlestone and Chertsey, which he said are punishing his constituents, and that engineering works and diversion routes are making the situation worse. He requested a meeting with the Transport Secretary to discuss how to mitigate and improve the level crossings, especially during these engineering works. The Transport Secretary acknowledged the implications of Network Rail engineering works and the construction and maintenance of level crossings, and said she would happily pass on the request for a meeting to the Minister for Rail in the other place.