Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration her Department has given to supporting the development of a high-speed rail connection between Belfast and Dublin capable of reducing end-to-end journey times to under two hours; and what discussions she has had with (a) the Northern Ireland Executive and (b) the Government of Ireland on that matter.

The railway in Northern Ireland is a fully devolved matter, including assessment of any new rail projects and proposals. The Northern Ireland Executive is responsible for their Infrastructure Strategy, including cross border cooperation with the Republic of Ireland.