Good afternoon.

It’s a pleasure to be here.

And a welcome opportunity to speak to you after my recent appointment as Rail Minister.

I understand the responsibility that comes along with the job.

Responsibility for a service that provides 1.7 billion passenger journeys a year.

And for the equally vital rail freight sector that keeps our economy on the move.

And I understand the pressures – the pressures that you face too.

Of busy commuter trains on an over-stretched infrastructure.

Of managing massive maintenance and upgrade projects.

Of dealing with industrial action.

And through it all, trying to provide a reliable service, day-in, day-out.

So I know it’s tough.

And I congratulate the industry for keeping things going during the recent spell of cold weather.

But I also believe that today, the prospects for the railway are brighter than they have been for generations.

However, we face 2 significant challenges.

First, we have to deal with the consequences of long-term underinvestment and soaring demand.

In the 35 years before privatisation 2 decades ago, passenger numbers fell by a third.

But in the 20 years following privatisation, they doubled.

Putting a significant burden on some of the most intensively used rail lines in Europe.

We’re working hard to reverse decades of rail underinvestment.

With the biggest rail programme since the Victorian era.

One of the first decisions that the government had to take in 2010 – when the current Chancellor was Transport Secretary – was whether to approve the Civil Service’s recommendation to cancel Crossrail.

Because the economy was in crisis, and the new line would require significant funding.

We saw it differently.

And today, as a result, the first Elizabeth Line test trains are running under the Thames and central London.

We’ve rebuilt major stations in Manchester, London, Birmingham, Leeds and Reading.

Every Northern and TransPennine Express train in the north of England is being replaced or refurbished.

And of course we’re building HS2.

Towards the end of last year we published our rail spending commitments for the period from 2019 to 2024.

Total spending will be around £48 billion.

Billions of pounds from franchise operators is also helping to renew train fleets, upgrade stations and transform services across the country.

And that leads me to the second great challenge.

Compared with other transport, the pace of innovation in rail is slow.

Transport is now the most polluting sector of our economy.

And while it is cleaner than other modes, rail cannot rest on its laurels.

Rail emissions have increased in absolute terms.

So it’s time the rail sector made a stronger commitment to cleaning up its act.

Electrification of every last mile is unlikely to be the only or most cost effective way to do this.

New bi-modes are a good bridging technology to other low emission futures.

And in time, as battery technologies improve we expect to see the diesel engines in bi-modes replaced altogether.

That’s why we need to continue developing battery technology for hybrid trains.

And work towards the real prize which is to develop and introduce zero-carbon alternative-fuel trains to the network.

I look forward with great interest to industry taking forward a hydrogen train trial in the next Control Period.

Ushering in a new era in low carbon rail travel.

So I have called on the railway to provide a vision for how it will decarbonise.

Including the removal of diesel-only trains from the network by 2040.

I am pleased that the industry has risen to this challenge by forming a task force to lead its response, and I look forward to my meeting with its Chair next week.

Our ambitions must also go beyond the method of traction.

I want industry to play its part in addressing the public’s very real concerns about air quality.

The research which industry is leading into air quality at and around stations, is a good start.

Now I want us to find new and innovative ways to tackle this blight.

But innovation is not just about new technologies.

We can also innovate by changing the way the railway is managed and run.

This is still a fragmented industry.

And this fragmentation has been a big factor in preventing the railway from focusing on the passenger.

That’s why our Rail Strategy goes further than ever before to get private and public sector working more closely together.

To end the operational divide between track and train.

And to rebuild the railway around the customer.

The railway also needs a much stronger regional focus, with integrated teams in place to sort out problems and manage local services.

So the strategy sets out plans to reorganise Network Rail into a series of regional businesses.

With greater autonomy and responsibility for local decision making.

These are common sense changes.

But they represent a radical reorganisation of the way the railway works.

Joined up management.

Simpler, more accountable structures.

Regional teams whose whole focus is on the customer.

So, to sum up.

Privatisation brought a revolution to our railways, and turned round half a century of decline.

Increased funding since 2010 – and well into the future – has turned round decades of underinvestment.

Now it’s time for the next transformation.

Modernising rail services and delivering HS2.

Committing the industry to a carbon-free future.

And uniting the railway in a relentless focus on the customer.

Thank you.

People living and working in Mytholmroyd are invited to meet the construction team who are building the flood defence scheme to protect 400 homes and businesses in the village.

A construction open day is being held at Mytholmroyd Community Centre on Thursday 22 March, 11am – 8pm, for members of the community to drop in to find out more about the Mytholmroyd Flood Alleviation Scheme which will cost in the region of £30m.

The flood alleviation scheme has been developed by the Environment Agency in partnership with Calderdale Council and is expected to be completed by Winter 2019. Design and construction of the scheme has been carried out by main contractor VBA, a joint venture comprising VolkerStevin, Boskalis Westminster and SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business.

Staff will be on hand throughout the day to explain what work is being carried out in each planning area of the village and answer questions on many issues including access routes and the size and type of equipment being used during construction.

Visitors will be told about the schedule of works and be asked during the event how they would like to be provided with up-to-date information about the progress of the scheme.

Vital works to be completed as part of the scheme include construction of new, raised and improved flood walls, relocation of Caldene Bridge, widening of the river channel at key locations and flood proofing of the buildings next to the river.

During the next stage of the scheme, which begins in April, drainage improvements will be made along Burnley Road to reduce the risk of surface water flooding.

Helen Batt, Calder catchment director for the Environment Agency said:

We’re keen for local residents and businesses to take this opportunity to find out about our plans for the Mytholmroyd Flood Scheme which will provide them much better protection against flood risk in the future.

Our team is committed to involving the community where possible in the delivery of the scheme and keep them informed at every stage of its progress.

Chris Blenkarn, project manager for VBA, said:

We are pleased that flood defence works are moving into the next phase on site, which will make a difference to the community and protect local homes and businesses. We look forward to hosting the event and answering any questions about the construction work.

Cllr Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Strategy, said > The Mytholmroyd Flood Alleviation Scheme is part of our ongoing partnership work to help protect local communities and improve resilience following the devastating 2015 floods.

With the second phase of the scheme on its way, we encourage local people to come along to the open day and talk to the experts to help them visualise the scheme and understand the impacts.

If anyone has any questions about the scheme they can email the project team: mytholmroydFAS@environment-agency.gov.uk

There is also a regular news bulletin produced with information about the scheme which is distributed throughout the village and you can request online by emailing the team.

Drop in surgeries are held at the Mytholmroyd Community Centre each week on: Tuesdays 12pm-3pm and Fridays 9am-12pm.

For latest updates visit: or follow #MytholmroydFAS @EnvAgencyYNE on Twitter.

The Environment Agency is investing £475m in Yorkshire to better protect 66,000 homes across the county as part of our current six year programme to 2021.

Residents are urged to check their flood risk online at (https://www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk) and sign up for free flood warnings to give them vital time to save themselves and their possessions from the devastating effects of flooding. Find out how to prepare for a flood at the Floods Destroy website

More children across the country will get a healthy and nutritious breakfast to set them up for the school day, thanks to an investment of up to £26 million and the appointment of two leading charities to run morning clubs, the Education Secretary announced today.

The boost to breakfast provision will be funded through the Government’s soft drinks industry levy and will benefit over 1,770 schools across the country. This investment will be targeted at the most disadvantaged areas of the country – including the Department for Education’s Opportunity Areas – to help make sure every child gets the best start in life.

Family Action, in partnership with Magic Breakfast, have both been named as the charities that will run the clubs. Family Action supports 45,000 of the most vulnerable families each year, while Magic Breakfast – which ran the department’s previous breakfast club programme – has supported the provision of breakfasts to over 31,500 children across 550 schools.

Research shows that a healthy breakfast can help boost children’s attainment by improving their memory and concentration. Thanks to Government reforms and the hard work of teachers, academic standards are rising in England, with 1.9 million more children in good or outstanding schools than in 2010, but there is more to do.

As part of the funding, experts at Family Action and Magic Breakfast will also look at how they can encourage more children to attend these programmes and improve collaboration and sharing of best practice across schools.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said:

A healthy breakfast can help fuel children’s concentration so they can get the most out of their school day.

Children only get one chance at an education and they deserve the best, whatever their background. That is why we are giving more pupils in some of the country’s most disadvantaged areas the chance to go to a breakfast club.

Paid for by the Government’s soft drinks levy, this investment will help raise education standards further and will make sure young people have happy, healthy childhoods.

The new clubs are due to start this spring. As well as providing a healthy and nutritious meal, many will also offer children the chance to be more active and develop their knowledge and skills through extra-curricular activities to improve their learning.

David Holmes CBE, Chief Executive of Family Action, said:

Breakfast clubs play a key role in ensuring children have a healthy start to their day. Family Action is delighted to be working with the Department for Education and Magic Breakfast on this ground-breaking programme – changing lives and life chances by preventing thousands of children from being too hungry to learn.

Carmel McConnell MBE, Founder of Magic Breakfast, said:

Magic Breakfast is delighted to work alongside the Department for Education and Family Action to deliver this programme. Crucially, it will ensure a nutritious breakfast reaches many more thousands of hungry schoolchildren, unlocking up to four hours of learning each morning to support their education. This is an excellent investment in these children and in the future of this country.

Fiona Pickering, Headteacher, Windsor Community Primary School, Toxteth, Liverpool, said:

Our free breakfast club is absolutely vital for our school! Children now start the day having had a healthy breakfast and time to socialise and chill, meaning that they are emotionally and physically equipped for the day ahead. It is, without doubt, one of the best parts of the extended provision we offer.

Today’s announcement is part of the government’s drive to support an active and healthy childhood through the Childhood Obesity Plan. It builds on the recent doubling of the Primary PE and Sport Premium to £320 million a year to improve PE and sport in schools, alongside the £100 million Healthy Pupils Fund to help young people live healthier lifestyles.

The announcement today follows wider support for the most disadvantaged families provided by the government, including the provision of free school meals to 1.1 million of the most disadvantaged children, the launch of new pilots to support disadvantaged families in the holidays and the £2.5 billion funding given to schools through the Pupil Premium to support their education.

The breakfast provision will be focused in areas of disadvantage, with a particular focus on in the Department for Education Opportunity Areas. The 12 Opportunity Areas are receiving a share of £72 million to help create opportunities and raise education standards in parts of the country where children and young people face greater challenges.