Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 21 September 2026 to question 23330 on East Coast Main Line: Digital Technology, what the recommendations are covering the Programme’s risk management and financial planning processes.

Reviews undertaken by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) of individual projects and programmes form part of an internal Government assurance process and are used to support programme oversight, governance and decision-making.

The detailed findings and recommendations from these reviews are not generally published. The Department is working with Network Rail and programme partners to progress the implementation of the recommendations where appropriate to support the efficient and effective delivery of the East Coast Digital Programme.

The programme continues to make progress, with a significant recent milestone achieved on 31 August 2026 through the successful commissioning of European Train Control System (ETCS) digital in-cab signalling between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin. This represented the first deployment of ETCS on the East Coast Main Line.