Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of re-opening the railway line from Heathfield to Newton Abbot for passenger services.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Newton Abbot to Heathfield line is currently out of use, having last carried freight traffic in 2015 and passenger traffic in 1959. Network Rail consider it important to safeguard the line in case it is restored for passenger and/or freight services in the future, subject to any viable future business case.
Network Rail has previously examined the case for reintroducing passenger services between Newton Abbot and Heathfield. While improved connectivity could deliver benefits, forecast demand was relatively low and was not considered sufficient to justify the significant costs of upgrading and operating a conventional rail service. The business case could, however, change in future if costs reduce or demand increases.
Interest has emerged in using the route as a trial corridor for battery powered Very Light Rail (VLR) vehicles. This could provide a lower-cost way of reintroducing passenger services while also testing innovative low-carbon transport technology. Before any decision could be made, further engineering, commercial and economic assessments would be needed to confirm whether a VLR scheme is viable. This work would need to examine funding and operating arrangements, technical and regulatory requirements, and the potential impact on any future plans to reinstate heavy rail freight services.
Network Rail considers that further work on the VLR option would help establish whether it could offer a practical and affordable means of restoring passenger services on the route.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a tram network within Heywood and Middleton North constituency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Between 2022-23 and 2026-27, the government is providing £1.07bn of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) funding to Greater Manchester to deliver transformational change to Greater Manchester’s transport infrastructure. Beyond that, we have confirmed a £2.5bn Transport for City Regions settlement for Greater Manchester from 2027-28 to 2031-32. It is for the Mayor of Greater Manchester to prioritise transport projects within that funding. As light rail is devolved in England, this includes considering the potential merits of any future tram proposals in the Heywood and Middleton North constituency.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will extend the capped ÂŁ2 bus fare to trams.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As buses are the most widely used form of public transport in England, the Department is prioritising support for lowering bus fares as part of the Government's plan to give families more breathing space.
Responsibility for light rail, including tramways, is devolved in England. Local authorities own and are responsible for the operation and financial sustainability of their systems, including the setting of fares.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ask the Office of Rail and Road to re-evaluate the open access application by Hull Trains to operate services between London King's Cross and Sheffield, in light of the reductions to East Midlands Railway’s Intercity timetable.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Hull Trains’ previous application to operate services between London and Sheffield was rejected by the Office or Rail and Road (ORR) in July 2025 due to concerns over capacity, performance and financial impacts. We respect the ORR’s decision on this.
Any Open Access operator may apply to operate new services, but this would be a commercial decision for the operator to take. Under the current system, any new application would be subject to full and independent review by the ORR. In the future, Great British Railways will be able to decide the best use of network capacity and take decisions as a directing mind.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Mass Transit Taskforce's remit includes tram-train projects.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The independently-led Mass Transit Taskforce will consider all modes of mass transit and emerging technologies. This includes Tram-train projects and other mass transit modes, including bus‑based, light rail‑based and hybrid systems.
Asked by: Lord Redwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the annual tax cost of exempting rail operators from the climate change levy on their purchase of electricity.
Answered by Lord Livermore
Energy supplies used in certain forms of transport are exempt from the main rate of Climate Change Levy (CCL). This includes electricity used to electrify rail lines, light a railway carriage transporting passengers and light the cab interior of a freight train transporting goods.
Information on the estimated cost of tax reliefs, including CCL exemptions, is published on GOV.UK and can be found in the annual statistics on tax reliefs. However, it is not possible to provide the annual tax cost of exempting rail operators from CCL, as HMRC does not collect this information.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average cost per mile has been for tram extensions completed in England since 2015.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The costs per mile for new local transport infrastructure in England can vary significantly based on numerous factors, including specific project conditions and requirements, geography, urban density, and land values.
Responsibility for light rail is devolved in England, where each local authority is responsible for the operations and financial sustainability of its network. This includes for upgrades and any potential extensions to existing systems.
The Government recognises that mass transit systems, including light rail, are among the most complex of local transport interventions, which is why an independent Mass Transit Taskforce has been established to help city regions deliver mass transit schemes faster, at lower cost, and with greater confidence.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of tram network extensions in (a) Manchester, (b) Nottingham and (c) Sheffield on levels of employment.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Responsibility for light rail is devolved in England, where each local authority owns and is responsible for the operations and financial sustainability of its own network. This includes any potential extensions to existing systems.
As such, local authorities are best placed to identify possible opportunities and the potential benefits of such schemes.
The Government recognises that mass transit systems, including trams, are among the most complex of local transport interventions, which is why an independent Mass Transit Taskforce has been established to help city regions deliver mass transit schemes faster, at lower cost, and with greater confidence.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (HL425), what is the estimated cost of full electrification of the East West Rail route compared to the lower capital cost of discontinuous electrification.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The costs of electrifying the full East West Rail route versus partial (discontinuous) electrification will depend on a number of factors including the final scope for the railway’s design and location of overhead line equipment. This is yet to be finalised and will be developed in light of feedback received in the East West Rail Company’s latest public consultation, which closed on 9 June this year.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which new (a) road and (b) rail schemes have been (i) signed off and (ii) cancelled in the East of England since July 2024.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 8 July 2025, and following the Spending Review, the Secretary of State set out the list of funded road schemes and rail enhancements schemes. These included those schemes that remained under consideration for future progression, providing transparency and certainty for stakeholders and the supply chain.
For rail schemes in the East of England, the Secretary of State’s announcement included the continued improvement of East Coast performance through digital signalling, delivery of a new Cambridge South Station, and investment to drive forward the delivery of East-West Rail to unlock growth across the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor. The previous government cancelled the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and Haughley Junction upgrade at Spending Review 2021.
The list of rail schemes has been further updated in the latest iteration of the UK infrastructure Pipeline, published by NISTA last March, to include new planned investment at Wixams Station to support the operation of the new Universal theme park. In addition to this Pipeline, Network Rail continues to regularly update and publish its Enhancements Delivery Plan each quarter, providing visibility on schemes already in delivery. Rail enhancements are managed as part of a dynamic and adaptable portfolio and as such we will continue to consider options for enhancements for future funding in the region that could strongly support the government’s priorities.
Since July 2024 the following new East of England roads schemes have received approval: A10 West Winch housing access scheme (OBC approved April 2025) and A130 Fairglen (FBC approved Jan 2025). Additionally, the following have been committed to within the funded RIS3 programme: A47 Thickthorn Junction; A47 Great Ouse Refurbishment (renewal); and A120 Wix Bypass (renewal).
The following East of England roads schemes have been withdrawn from the programme either for affordability reasons or at the request of the local authority: A17 Pullover junction; A13/A126 East facing slips (Thurrock); A47 Wansford to Sutton; A12 Chelmsford to A120; and A47 Great Yarmouth Vauxhall Junction.
In the case of the A12 Chelmsford to A120, this had been repeatedly deferred by the previous government, including most recently in March 2024, which added to the overall costs of the scheme.