Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what upgrades will take place as part of the East Coat Mainline Programme in Huntingdon constituency.

The Department has invested £1.2bn in a package of route-wide infrastructure upgrades as part of the East Coast Main Line Enhancements Programme, the benefits of which are due to be realised through introduction of a recast timetable in this December, which will provide more frequent and faster services across the route. Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Department is also working closely with Network Rail and industry stakeholders to develop options for a long-term pipeline of investment on the East Coast Mainline. This work will consider Network Rail’s assessment of the congested infrastructure on the route – including those identified between Huntingdon North Junction and New England North Junction – and explore opportunities to mitigate these constraints.