Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2023 to Question 203238 on High Speed 2 Line: West Coast Main Line, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of HS2 using the West Coast Mainline on (a) local rail services in south-east Greater Manchester and (b) the viability of new local rail services in south-east Greater Manchester before any decision is made on HS2 services diverting onto the West Coast Mainline through Stockport.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Decisions on the train service that will run when HS2 opens will consider impacts on other rail services and up-to-date information on passenger demand, including those at Stockport Station.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2023 to Question 203239 on High Speed 2 Line: West Coast Main Line, whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reconfiguring Heaton Norris Junction to (a) facilitate new local rail services through Stockport, (b) retain local rail services through Stockport and (c) facilitate future orbital Tram-Train services along the Stockport-Stalybridge line.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The announcement on 4 October launching Network North represents a significant new £36bn programme of transport investment across the country. Regarding services through Stockport, following this announcement, we are in the early stages of planning next steps, including delivery timelines for these schemes and are working closely with Network Rail.
Regarding future orbital Tram-Train services along the Stockport-Stalybridge line and the merits of upgrading Heaton Norris Junction, the Department has received a Restoring your Railway bid to upgrade the existing line between Stockport and Ashton-under-Lyne.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to build a railway line between Northampton and Market Harborough.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
On behalf of sub-national transport body England's Economic Heartland, Network Rail previously prepared a feasibility study into reinstating a railway connection between the West Coast Main Line at Northampton and the Midland Main Line at Market Harborough. I encourage him to engage with England's Economic Heartland further on this.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 73 of his Department's Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands, published in November 2021, CP 490, whether it remains his policy that (a) the West Coast Main Line is at capacity and (b) there are no viable choices for new lines and upgrades to the West Coast Main Line.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government remains committed to HS2 Phase 1 which will have a transformative effect on rail capacity: nearly doubling capacity up to 250,000 seats per day across the primary long-distance operator on the West Coast Main Line and Phase 1 - triple that of the operator’s current estimated average daily demand.
In line with normal practice, work to consider future service patterns and capacity in the light of Network North continues.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the capacity of the West Coast Main Line to meet anticipated future passenger and freight usage in the context of the decision not to proceed the northern section of HS2.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
No decisions have been made on the train service that will run when HS2 opens. These will be made in due course and be subject to consultation, taking advice from the industry. These considerations will include passenger and freight services available on the West Coast Mainline from released capacity.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the potential increase in freight that will be transported along the West Coast Main Line in the context of not proceeding with the northern section of HS2.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
No decisions have been made on the train service that will run when HS2 opens. These will be made in due course and be subject to consultation, taking advice from the industry. These considerations will include passenger and freight services available on the West Coast Mainline from released capacity.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential need to reconfigure Heaton Norris Junction to (a) facilitate new local rail services through Stockport, (b) protect local rail services through Stockport and (c) facilitate future orbital Tram-Train services along the Stockport-Stalybridge line as a result of HS2 services using the West Coast Mainline.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
No decisions have been made on the train service that will run when HS2 opens. These will be made in due course and be subject to consultation, taking advice from the industry.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact on (a) local rail services in south-east Greater Manchester and (b) the potential for new local rail services in south-east Greater Manchester of HS2 using the West Coast Mainline.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
No decisions have been made on the train service that will run when HS2 opens. These will be made in due course and be subject to consultation, taking advice from the industry.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on crossover capacity from Stockport station on the Stockport-Stalybridge line at Heaton Norris Junction of HS2 trains using the West Coast Mainline.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
No decisions have been made on the train service that will run when HS2 opens. These will be made in due course and be subject to consultation, taking advice from the industry. These considerations will include passenger and freight services available on the West Coast Mainline from released capacity.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the average number of trains that will leave Warrington Bank Quay each hour following the construction of HS2 phase (a) 2a and (b) 2b.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
No decisions have yet been taken on the train services that will operate when HS2 opens. These decisions will be taken nearer the time of delivery, drawing on advice from the West Coast Partnership and Network Rail. These proposals will be subject to public consultation and will cover the high-speed services as well as the recommended use of the capacity that will become available on the West Coast Main Line.
The Department is clear that the high-speed and West Coast services will complement each other to seek to maximise the benefits for passengers across the region.