Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what enhancement projects are planned for the East Coast Main Line in Control Period 6 in order to accommodate the forecast growth in passengers using that line.

The Department for Transport is committed to improving journey for passengers along the East Coast Main Line in Control Period (CP6: 2019-2024) both through infrastructure works and the introduction of improved trains. From December 2018, new Intercity Express Trains will increase the number of seats along the East Coast Main Line. As these new trains continue to be introduced they will reduce journey times, increase capacity and improve the customer experience.

The Statement of Funds Available for CP6 includes funding to continue to take forward the enhancements that now span both Control Period 5 (CP5: 2014-2019) and CP6, including schemes on the East Coast to improve capacity and reduce journey times. In line with the new process for enhancements these schemes will continue to be subject to ongoing consideration to ensure they deliver the best results for both rail users and taxpayers.

We need to ensure investment best addresses the needs of passengers and freight, and that funding commitments appropriately reflect the stage of development of enhancements. This is why we’ll be using a new process to take forward enhancements.

The new process will ensure that enhancements are only committed for development, design or delivery when they have been properly worked through, to avoid the problems of the past, where schemes were committed to too early. We will confirm the specific infrastructure enhancements are committed at which stage in due course.