Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential future capacity on the Chat Moss railway line as a result of the plans for the Northern Powerhouse Rail; and whether those plans include the opening of additional stations on that line.

Any assessment of the potential for future capacity on the Chat Moss line as a result of the plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail will depend on (i) the route options between Liverpool to Manchester, (ii) what intermediate destinations are served and (iii) how that option interacts with related portions of the classic rail network. These factors are being considered by Transport for the North as part of the development of the Strategic Outline Business Case for Northern Powerhouse Rail which is due to be developed by the end of 2018.