Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the oral contribution of 10 January 2019, Official Report, column 526, whether he has had further discussions with the cross county train operator on increasing capacity on trains between Leeds and Birmingham.

The Department is currently looking at all options for the successor to the Cross Country franchise. Officials are also in regular discussions with the current operator, Arriva Cross Country, about potential ways of increasing capacity on the busiest routes as a priority as suitable rolling stock becomes available in the market.