Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contingencies are in place for a complete structural failure of the Severn Tunnel.

The structure of the Severn Tunnel is maintained by Network Rail. In line with all structures on the route, it is inspected annually with a detailed survey carried out every six years. Established maintenance plans are in place to maintain the condition of the track. Network Rail are confident that the tunnel remains structurally sound and they consider the risk of a complete structural failure to be very unlikely.