Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Hope Valley Capacity Scheme, whether Network Rail has plans to make available increased capacity to provide additional diversionary routes during the TransPennine upgrade.

The use of the additional capacity created by the Hope Valley Capacity scheme will be determined by the franchise specifier, the Rail North Partnership. Diversionary routes for the proposed Transpennine Route Upgrade will be part of the next phase of planning once the scope is agreed.