Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to release funds from the northern leg of HS2 to improve the railway line between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street stations.

Although upgrading this line was not included in the Network North plan, £9.6 billion funding has been allocated towards transport infrastructure enhancements across the Midlands. This does not preclude the scheme from being funded in the future, and I understand Midlands Connect’s Strategic Outline Business Case outlines the potential benefits of the scheme for line-speed improvements to the Shewsbury to Wolverhampton line.