Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish a plan to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail; and when (a) a new line between Leeds and Manchester, (b) signal upgrades and electrification across the whole of the North will be delivered.

The Prime Minister has made clear the Government’s commitment to delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail in full, including a stop in Bradford. Plans will be set out in due course including potential opportunities for acceleration. We will engage closely with local leaders and MPs in reaching detailed decisions on the options to deliver this.

In the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, published July 2021, the government committed to deliver a net zero rail network by 2050. This will include electrifying additional lines and deploying battery and hydrogen trains on lines where it makes economic and operational sense.