Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to invest in station upgrades on the lakes line from Oxenholme to Windermere in light of the cancellation of plans to electrify that line.

We are investing over £40bn in our network in the current investment period (CP5: 2014-2019) as part of the biggest rail modernisation programme for over a century to provide faster journeys and more comfortable trains. On 12th October the Transport Secretary announced continued record levels of investment in the railways, with around £48bn to be spent between 2019-2024 (the next investment period: CP6).

Through our investment in the railway, passengers in the Lake District will benefit from four direct services a day in each direction between Windermere and Manchester Airport from May 2018. From 2019, there will be brand new trains with more seats and better on-board facilities. In addition, Northern, the train operator, is looking at a number of technologies to improve journeys for passengers on this route and to protect the environment in this World Heritage Site.