Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many rail market-led proposals for the construction of new railways by private sector firms he has received; and if he will list those proposals.

The department has received 30 responses to its call for ideas for market-led proposals to enhance the railway, which it launched in March this year. These submissions covered a wide range of railway enhancements, but the department cannot make an announcement about individual schemes at this time as these proposals were submitted in confidence and such disclosure may prejudice the commercial interests of the proposers. Individual promoters will be contacted later in the autumn.