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) Northern Rail before the announcement of the three-week postponement of the reopening of the railway line between Blackpool North and Preston on the economic consequences for Blackpool's tourist industry.

Department officials are in regular contact with Network Rail and Northern. 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.