Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Integrated Rail Plan p15, whether the assumptions of twenty five minute time savings are based on reducing intermediate stops along the East Coast Mainline.

The Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) sets out ambitious plans for the upgrade of the East Coast Main Line (ECML). The fastest ECML journey times quoted in the IRP may be achieved through a combination of increasing maximum speeds from 125mph to 140mph on some sections of the route, and by some services making fewer intermediate stops. Intermediate stations along the route would be served by separate services and the detailed timetable specification will be developed when the IRP is progressed.