Railways: East Coast Main Line

Baroness Pidgeon Excerpts

Tuesday 20th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

My Lords, the short answer is yes, I do agree. The £4 billion public investment in the east coast main line infrastructure in trains had stalled. Although Network Rail writes the timetable, it lacked the authority to implement it. Requiring ministerial approval amounted to an excessive level of central control that GBR will remove. Encouragingly, public sector collaboration, free from contractual constraints, enables successful delivery. The result is a major uplift in services, supporting economic growth and increasing the availability of cheaper LNER tickets, thanks to more trains and seats.

[Baroness Pidgeon (LD)]

My Lords, capacity on both the east and west coast main lines is stretched, which is why High Speed 2 will make such a difference when it opens. When will the Government publish the project reset, including the revised opening period and costs?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I cannot give the noble Baroness a specific answer, as I am sure she is probably aware, but we will communicate that as soon as we are able to.