Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish (a) the benefit–cost ratio assessments undertaken for the proposed Manchester Piccadilly HS2 station options and (b) any associated operational assessments commissioned by (i) HS2 Ltd and (ii) her Department on the comparative performance of surface and underground designs.

The Department is carefully reviewing proposals for an underground station at Manchester Piccadilly. However, no decision has yet been made, and the Department has not published any benefit–cost ratio assessments for the proposed station options. Similarly, no operational assessments comparing surface and underground designs commissioned by either HS2 Ltd or the Department have been published.

Transport is an essential part of our mission to rebuild Britain, and we are absolutely committed to improving rail connectivity across the North and working with local leaders to establish shared priorities.