Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the current status is of environmental permitting for works at Bransty Tunnel with the Environment Agency and the Mining Remediation Authority; and what outstanding approvals are required before works can commence.

Network Rail is working closely with the Mining Remediation Authority and the Environment Agency to secure the necessary environmental permits, so that water pollution issues that are leading to the issues in Whitehaven Harbour can be addressed alongside the repairs to Bransty Tunnel.

As part of this permitting process, Network Rail and the Mining Remediation Authority are currently modelling various complex scenarios to assess the impact of the long-term solution on Whitehaven Harbour and the surrounding area. Once all parties have understood and approved the water quality impacts, work to repair Bransty Tunnel can begin.