😡 Rail Services: East Durham Coastline

• Rail Service Issues in East Durham: Grahame Morris, MP for Easington, highlighted the severe problems with rail services along the east Durham coastline, including frequent delays, sudden cancellations, and dangerously overcrowded trains, especially during peak times.

• Impact on Local Communities: These issues not only affect Easington but also neighbouring areas like Stockton, Billingham, and Teesside, hindering residents’ access to employment and education opportunities, and negatively impacting the local economy.

• Reopening of Horden Station: The community welcomed the reopening of Horden station in 2020, but the service’s unreliability has failed to deliver the expected economic benefits to the region.

• Government Action and Accountability: The government has started publishing data on train cancellations and delays through the Office of Rail and Road, aiming to hold operators accountable. However, Morris pointed out that the data does not account for passengers left on platforms due to overcrowding.

• Northern Rail’s Performance: Northern Rail’s service has shown erratic performance, with significant increases in cancellations. High staff sickness rates have been cited as a contributing factor, raising questions about the sustainability of relying on rest-day working.

• Shortage of Rolling Stock: The region still uses second-hand trains from the 1970s, and the two-carriage trains during peak times pose safety and comfort concerns due to overcrowding.

• Proposed Solutions: Morris suggested introducing a stop at Seaham for Grand Central services, increasing Northern services to Middlesbrough and Newcastle, and adjusting the timetable of the semi-fast Northern service to include stops at Seaham and Horden.

• Government Response: Transport Minister Simon Lightwood acknowledged the issues and outlined Northern’s improvement plan mandated by the Rail North Partnership, which includes reducing cancellations and improving timeliness. However, due to capacity constraints, expanding services at Seaham and Horden was deemed operationally challenging.

• Future Improvements: The government is procuring 450 new trains for Northern, although it’s unclear how many will serve the east Durham coastline. Significant investments in the east coast main line are also planned, which will enhance connectivity and capacity.

• Urgency for Change: Both Morris and the Minister agreed on the necessity of improving rail services to support local growth and meet the transport needs of east Durham residents. Immediate actions are needed alongside long-term investments to address the current challenges.

The session exhibits a moderate level of disagreement, primarily focused on the current state and future plans for rail services on the east Durham coastline. The disagreements are not confrontational but reflect different perspectives on solutions and priorities. Here are the key points of disagreement and examples:

1. Severity and Immediate Impact of Issues:
   • Grahame Morris extensively details the severe impact of the current rail service issues on his constituents, emphasizing the urgency of immediate solutions. He states, “The people of east Durham have waited far too long for a reliable rail service,” and calls for specific interim measures.
   • In contrast, Simon Lightwood acknowledges the issues but focuses more on long-term plans and systemic improvements. He mentions, “Northern, like all operators, takes its safety obligations seriously,” and outlines the improvement plan and future investments, indicating a less urgent approach to immediate resolutions.
2. Specific Solutions and Their Feasibility:
   • Morris suggests increasing Northern services and adjusting timetables to include stops at Seaham and Horden, emphasizing their necessity for his constituents. He says, “All three of those solutions…are needed while we await the arrival of new rolling stock beyond 2030.”
   • Lightwood, however, explains constraints and operational realities that limit the immediate implementation of these solutions. He notes, “The current infrastructure could not support a two trains per hour stopping service as well as one train per hour on a semi-fast service,” indicating a disagreement on the feasibility of Morris’s proposals.
3. Role of Grand Central:
   • Morris strongly advocates for additional stops by Grand Central at Seaham, stressing the benefits for his constituency. He asks, “will the Minister kindly to provide an update from the ORR?”
   • Lightwood acknowledges the importance of Grand Central but clarifies the government’s position on new services due to capacity constraints, stating, “we cannot support Grand Central’s separate application to operate additional services.”

Overall, the disagreements are more about differing priorities and feasibility rather than personal or ideological conflicts. The level of disagreement does not escalate to a high level of contention, hence the rating of 3.