Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department had with (a) Network Rail and (b) the Office of Rail and Road before the decision was taken to postpone the reopening of the railway line between Blackpool North and Preston for three weeks over Easter.

Department officials are in regular contact with Network Rail and the Office of Rail and Road. The need to extend the blockade was taken as a result of severe weather conditions combined with essential engineering equipment being unavailable at a critical time in order to ensure that the planned improvements could be completed in time for the May 2018 timetable.