Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of track upgrade works on the Birmingham-Shrewsbury railway line on (a) levels of rail travel and (b) the UK's progress to becoming carbon neutral.

Midlands Connect is currently developing proposals to improve the rail connection between Birmingham and Shrewsbury. The outputs of this work will be presented in a strategic outline business case. Electrification of the line is also being considered as part of this work, which would contribute towards the Government’s ambition to reduce carbon emissions to net zero.