Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway open access proposal on a) the level of employment, including direct job creation and supply chain effects, and b) regional productivity growth in the West Midlands.

The Department for Transport is clear that, in the right circumstances, Open Access can provide benefits to the railway network, such as improved connectivity and choice for passengers - this in turn can have benefits for the local area. That is why the Department has reviewed the resubmitted application from Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway and provided conditional support for the proposals. Access to the railway network, however, is a decision for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in its capacity as independent regulator and the Department for Transport is unable to direct the ORR in its decision making.