Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Rail Connections: North of England

Thursday 22 October 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • UK Department announced nearly 600 million investment in north England rail network in July 2020.
  • Katherine Fletcher raised concerns about Midge Hall station where trains stop but passengers cannot alight.
  • Government is considering recommendations from 51 proposals submitted to the restoring your railway ideas fund.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Katherine Fletcher
Transport
Context

The north of England is experiencing significant investment needs for rail infrastructure.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to improve rail connections in the north of England. I am concerned about the lack of adequate rail services and connectivity issues that hinder economic growth and daily commutes in the region.

Answer from Andrew Stephenson

We announced nearly £600 million of investment in the rail network across the north in July alone. This is part of the £48 billion being spent on rail between 2019 and 2024.

Answered
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Q2 Katherine Fletcher
Transport
Context

Leyland has plans for development with the Government's towns fund, including reopening Midge Hall station. At present, trains stop at the station but passengers are not allowed to board or disembark.

Question

Leyland has some exciting plans for development with the Government's towns fund, and an important part of that is the reopening of Midge Hall station, but at the moment we have the nonsense of trains stopping there but passengers not being allowed to get on or off. Will my hon. Friend give every consideration to that as part of the restoring your railway fund?

Answer from Andrew Stephenson

That was an excellent Lancastrian question, from an excellent Member of Parliament. For the second round of applications to the restoring your railway ideas fund 51 proposals have been submitted to the expert panel. The recommendations have now been made and we are considering them for funding. We will be announcing the outcome of the second round in the coming weeks.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The reopening of Midge Hall station was not specifically addressed with a commitment or timeline.

How: Under Review, Considering

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