Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Transport for the North and (b) Transport for Greater Manchester on rail connectivity​ in Leigh; and what steps he is taking to improve rail connectivity in that region.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Transport for the North (TfN) and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), where a range of issues are discussed.

The Government’s Rail investment and HS2 programmes will lead to improved connectivity for the Greater Manchester area, including Wigan, Warrington, Bolton and central Manchester. Leigh will benefit from this.

TfGM are advancing their wider plans for connectivity across the city region through their Greater Manchester 2040 Transport Strategy and TfN has now been established as a statutory sub-national transport body to assess transport priorities in the region.