Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 23 October 2023 to Question 203073 on Railways: Greater Manchester, whether funding for Network North will be allocated to track upgrades on the West Coast Mainline.

High Speed 2 (HS2) will now be delivered between Euston in central London and the West Midlands as planned, with a branch to Handsacre, near Lichfield, where there is a plan for HS2 services to travel to Liverpool, Manchester and Scotland via the West Coast Main Line (WCML). Following the announcement of Network North, the Department is also working with industry to develop the plan for a train service to maximise the use of the WCML. Network Rail will also consider the implications of Network North for the West Coast Main Line when planning its future operations, maintenance and renewals.