Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of freight capacity of (a) the Ely Area Capacity Enhancements, (b) the Northallerton–Eaglescliffe Gauge Clearance and (c) other schemes identified in Network Rail’s pipeline following the Comprehensive Spending Review.

The Department has previously approved initial progression of development work with Network Rail on a) Ely Area Capacity and b) Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Gauge Clearance schemes, both of which identified potential for increasing the capacity for freight on the routes. These schemes and a number of c) others, were not prioritised in the Spending Review for progression at this time but will be kept under review as part of our pipeline for potential progression in future as funding becomes available. The Secretary of State set out the road and rail schemes that have been prioritised for progression in the Spending Review period 8 July 2025, which includes schemes that will have benefits for freight capacity.