Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the (a) final cost and (b) completion date of the Midlands Rail hub.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network North increased the funding of Midlands Rail Hub to £1.75bn and committed to deliver the scheme in full.
MRH is being developed for delivery in two phases. The first phase, improved services between Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff and Worcester, is currently anticipated to be operational in the early 2030s. The second phase, improved services between Birmingham and the East Midlands, is currently anticipated to be operational from the mid to late 2030s.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) the Secretary of State for Transport and (b) Network Rail on the potential impact of Control Period 7 funding on (i) rail services and (ii) the condition of rail infrastructure in Wales.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
My officials and I have regular discussions with counterparts in the Department for Transport and Network Rail on a wide range of transport matters in Wales.
Between 2024 and 2029, the UK Government will be providing a record £44.1 billion settlement for Network Rail in Control Period 7 across England and Wales. This £44.1 billion settlement is roughly a 4% increase in real terms when compared to the previous control period.
The UK Government is committed to improving rail infrastructure in Wales and has allocated £1 billion to electrify the North Wales Mainline, delivered the £76 million electrification of the Severn Tunnel, contributed £144 million to the upgrade of the Core Valley Lines and provided £77.7 million for improvements to Cardiff Central Station.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) the Secretary of State for Transport, (b) Network Rail and (c) the Welsh government on the electrification of the North Wales Main Line.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
My officials and I have regular discussions with counterparts in the Department for Transport, Network Rail and the Welsh Government on a wide range of transport matters across Wales.
The UK Government is committed to providing £1 billion to fund the electrification of the North Wales Main Line. This investment will have a transformative impact for the many residents, commuters and tourists who use the North Wales Main Line, driving economic growth across the region.
The Department for Transport is working closely with Network Rail and industry partners to develop and deliver on the Government priorities outlined in the Prime Minister’s Network North announcement, including electrification of the North Wales Main Line. The Government is currently considering next steps, including delivery timelines, and will share further information when this work is complete. All schemes will be subject to the development and approval of business cases and will undergo all formal governance, in line with relevant fiscal and legal duties.
The UK Government is already providing significant investment to improve rail infrastructure and travel in Wales, including £144 million for the Core Valley Lines, delivering the £76 million electrification of the Severn Tunnel and £77.7 million for improvements to Cardiff Central Station.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for the reallocation of HS2 funding to Network Rail for upgrading (a) Haughley and (b) Ely junctions.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Prime Minister's Network North announcement confirmed government support for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and upgrades to Haughley Junction. My officials have been engaging with their counterparts at Network Rail to consider next steps in progressing these important schemes and an update on next steps will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for the commencement of works upgrading (a) Haughley and (b) Ely junctions.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Prime Minister's Network North announcement confirmed government support for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and upgrades to Haughley Junction. My officials have been engaging with their counterparts at Network Rail to consider next steps in progressing these important schemes and an update on next steps will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Network Rail on upgrading (a) Haughley and (b) Ely junctions.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Prime Minister's Network North announcement confirmed government support for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and upgrades to Haughley Junction. My officials have been engaging with their counterparts at Network Rail to consider next steps in progressing these important schemes and an update on next steps will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of the funding for the Midlands Rail Hub will be spent in North Shropshire constituency.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network North has committed to redirected money from HS2 with the £19.8 billion committed to the Northern leg of HS2 reinvested in the North, the £9.6 billion committed to the Midlands reinvested in the Midlands, and the full £6.5 billion saved through our rescoped approach at Euston being spread across every other region in the country. We continue to work with our delivery partners to develop plans and deliver all projects and schemes announced as part of Network North, including agreement of funding allocations.
Of the £9.6 billion for the Midlands, North Shropshire will benefit from funding from a number of schemes under Network North:
It is important to note that it is at the discretion of Local Authorities to determine the allocation of funds from each of these schemes to specific projects and which schemes they choose to deliver within their areas.
Additionally, as part of Network North, we’ve committed to restoring the Oswestry to Gobowen line which will drive tourism, boosts local businesses, and encourage investment in the Shropshire area. We will announce further details in due course.
The Department has conditionally approved funding of £54.4 million towards the cost of the proposed Shrewsbury North Western Relief Road which would provide a new 4.5 mile single carriageway road linking the northern and western parts of Shrewsbury. Approval is conditional on Shropshire Council securing planning and other legal consents, carrying out procurement and submitting a Full Business Case.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the successful bids to the Restoring Your Railway Fund as of 19 December 2023.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Under the Network North announcement, the Department confirmed that a further 11 RYR-originated schemes will progress to delivery, subject to successful business cases. We are in the early stages of planning next steps, including delivery timelines, for these schemes and are working closely with Network Rail and other delivery partners to develop and deliver on these Government priorities.
There are a number of RYR schemes awaiting feedback on next steps. The Department hopes to be able to provide further details in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with the operator to address the shortage of accommodation on railway services between the Thames Valley and the North, including by making some more of the rolling stock currently in store available.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Officials meet regularly with train operators. Under the new National Rail Contract that commenced in October, additional carriages are due to be added to the CrossCountry train fleet in the next few years, as they become available in the rolling stock market. It is for operators to determine how best to match capacity to expected passenger demand on individual services making the most efficient use of the train fleet available to them.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the comments of the Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission in the Financial Times on 26 November, in which he casts doubt on the Government’s plan for connecting the HS2 rail line to Euston through private financing.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Network North paper published by the Department for Transport on 4 October 2023 sets out that private finance will be leveraged to ensure contributions to the cost of Euston from those people and businesses it supports. The opportunity for regeneration and new homes in the Euston area is one of the largest in central London. This development-led approach will bring in private finance, along with a reduction of the transport scope to deliver only what is required at Euston. This will reduce the costs to the taxpayer. We are also taking on the lessons of success stories such as Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms, which secured £9 billion of private sector investment. The exact design of the model to be used, how it is taken to market, as well as how and where the alternative funding generated by this will be spent, is commercially sensitive and still subject to further work to ensure we are optimising funding and delivery. Ministers and officials have held positive initial conversations with potential funders. There will be a range of options within this that are still being considered and will require more time to develop before a final proposal is determined.