Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department plans to make available to local rail providers to improve infrastructure and rail connections (a) through the re-instatement of the direct Lowestoft to London Liverpool Street line and (b) from other rural areas to major cities.

The Government is committed to unlocking the potential of rail to connect rural communities such as Lowestoft to the capital and to other regional towns and cities. We have committed £48bn to operate, maintain, renew and enhance the England and Wales network between 2019 and 2024 and work is already underway to develop proposals for infrastructure improvements along the Great Eastern Main Line.