Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the capacity for rail freight growth will be included in the Government’s specification for the north Transpennine as a result of his Department's internal Board Investment and Commercial Committee meeting held on 19 November 2018.

The Transpennine Route Upgrade design remit continues to include freight options. Network Rail, the Department and TfN will continue to work closely to develop the programme further and I expect work to begin in Spring next year.