Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he made of the potential level of use of Intercity Express Programme rolling stock on the east coast main line as a result of not introducing in full a new railway timetable in December 2018 or providing the planned level of service.

We have accepted the industry recommendations for the December 2018 timetable. London North Eastern Railway will be proceeding with its timetable changes. We expect Intercity Express Trains to be introduced into services on the East Coast Mainline from December 2018 as planned.