Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans there are to improve capacity and speed on rail connections between Sheffield and Manchester.

As part of the Great North Rail Project, the Hope Valley and Dore capacity schemes will increase track capacity to allow a more frequent service, accommodating three fast trains an hour between Manchester and Sheffield. This scheme is currently subject to a Transport and Works Act Order application, to which the Department is currently considering.

In addition, the Government is fully committed to Northern Powerhouse Rail, which aims to dramatically improve connections between major cities across the North of England. A large range of options are under development, and we expect to receive a business case from Transport for the North by the end of 2018.