Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the consultation conducted by Network Rail with (a) Blackpool Council, (b) other local authorities and (c) Members of Parliament before the decision was taken to postpone the reopening of the railway line from Blackpool North to Preston for three weeks over Easter.

The Secretary of State for Transport did not make an assessment of this matter. 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.