Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of upgrading and expanding monitoring and stabilisation works on Victorian railway embankments; and whether she plans to publish a timetable for funding for this infrastructure.

Network Rail, as the infrastructure manager of Britain’s railways, is responsible for maintaining the integrity and safety of the rail network to ensure passenger and freight services can operate reliably. Network Rail manages Victorian-era embankments—some over 150 years old—as part of a comprehensive, risk-based earthworks strategy. Its approach comprises policies, monitoring, maintenance, and engineering interventions. It is spending over £1bn on drainage and earthworks in 2024-2029 to ensure the integrity of the rail network, which includes embankment stabilisation.