Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria were used for setting the priorities for improving the Great Western rail line, Midland Main Line and TransPennine rail line announced on 24 June; and what were the individual scores for each scheme.

In the case of the Midland Main Line, the desired passenger benefits can be delivered in the near term through the capacity improvements already planned for Control Period 5. Electrification is paused pending Sir Peter Hendy’s proposals on re-planning the delivery of enhancements.

In the case of North Trans Pennine Electrification east of Stalybridge a temporary pause pending Sir Peter’s proposals will allow Network Rail to deliver wider development work in the region that will enable delivery of our more ambitious plans for the North.

We are prioritising the electrification of the Great Western Line as the new IEP trains on order will deliver significant benefits to passengers. They will benefit from shorter journey times, better reliability, improved comfort and an increase in the number of seats in the morning peak into London Paddington.