To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to Southern Railway about the quality of the stock on the Gatwick Express. [HL2873]

Her Majesty’s Government have specified the level of rail service, including service quality and timings in the South Central rail franchise which commenced on 20 September 2009.

The requirements include maintaining the 15 minute non-stop service between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport, on board catering at appropriate times and new service quality targets.

The rolling stock to be deployed on the Gatwick Express services is a matter for the train operating company as long as it meets minimum standards such as luggage space and multilingual announcements.