Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to increase capacity for (a) rail freight and (b) passenger services on the East Coast Main Line.

The government is investing up to £780m in Control Period 6 in the East Coast Main Line. This will fund power supply upgrades between Doncaster and Edinburgh, a new rail junction near Peterborough, a new platform at Stevenage Station and improvements to the track layout at King’s Cross Station. The upgrade at Peterborough will increase freight capacity between East Anglia and the north via the Great Northern and Great Eastern line. Passengers will benefit from two additional trains per hour between London and Doncaster and one additional train per hour between Doncaster and Newcastle.