Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on reopening the Leamside line.

The re-opening of the Leamside Line is a Transport North East led programme and my officials are supporting them as they develop their business case.

The Government has committed £1.8 billion of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS 2) investment in the North East from 2027 to 2032, which includes additional funding only possible due to the billions of pounds redirected from HS2 via Network North, giving the locally elected mayor the means to spend on the priorities they determine are right for the parts of the country they represent, rather than taking all decisions in Westminster. This commitment will empower them to fund the projects that matter most to their communities including, if they choose, funding the re-opening of the Leamside Line.