Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will extend the electrification of the Midland Main line to Market Harborough.

Network Rail has been instructed to design an extension of electrification infrastructure from Kettering to Market Harborough station, as part of the Midland Main Line enhancements programme.

The Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) extension to Market Harborough will enable a new connection to a power supply at Braybrooke. At Outline Business Case stage in March 2018 this was determined to be the best value for money option for making the power supply connection. In line with normal practice, this will be tested again when the overall Midland Main Line programme Key Output 1a, of which Market Harborough electrification is a constituent part, is assessed at Full Business Case stage.