Select committee: Transport Committee
Conclusion 3
Eighth Report - Minimum service levels for rail
Published 22 Sep 2023
Paragraph 74
Addressed to Department for Transport
Transport Committee Minimum service levels for rail All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Looking to the future, the following criteria should be used by the Department to assess the success of a minimum service level for rail (Paragraph 74): 30 Minimum service levels for rail j) Industrial disputes have neither been prolonged nor increased. Novel industrial action has not proliferated; k) Passenger satisfaction on strike days is greater than at present. Passengers have access to clearly communicated information in relation to service operation, and greater certainty, further in advance than at present, about travel on strike days. l) Long term, there is more effective cooperation and better working relationships between rail unions, the industry and government.
From: Transport Committee, Eighth Report - Minimum service levels for rail (HC 1153), paragraph 74, 22 September 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 4 December 2023 (deadline 22 November 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says the Regulations currently before Parliament address all nine criteria the Committee recommended, and sets out its approach to minimum service levels (MSLs) for passenger rail.
- On service levels, it expects them to "exceed the overall service levels provided on previous strike days", and says the three MSL categories include 40% of timetabled services for train operation and light rail.
- On the Committee's suggestion that the department pilot MSLs, it states that the parent Act "does not include powers to undertake a pilot".
- It expects the Regulations, "subject to Parliamentary approval", to "come into force before the end of the year", so employers can issue work notices "should they choose to do so".
- On the Committee's three proposed success criteria, it "welcomes these suggested criteria and will carefully monitor the impact of MSLs".