Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with Network Rail on the December 2025 East Coast Main Line timetable.

The Department has been in regular discussion with Network Rail since 2018 on the new East Coast Main Line (ECML) timetable including through industry planning forums. Last year, the Department commissioned an industry taskforce, including Network Rail, to oversee the readiness for this change and make a recommendation to implement. On their advice, I approved this timetable for implementation in December 2025 to enable the full benefits of a £4 billion investment in the route.