Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Transport Connectivity: North-west England

Thursday 8 February 2024 · 3 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Network North will see an additional 19.8 billion investment in the north of England, beyond the previously committed 3.5 billion.
  • The Minister is willing to meet Damien Moore and other stakeholders to discuss the potential reinstatement of the Burscough curves rail link.
  • The Minister did not comment on a leaked document but stated that the HS2 train design was capable of carrying up to 1,000 passengers per train.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Damien Moore Con
Transport
Context

The question arises from a broader context of improving transport infrastructure and connectivity across the north-west. It follows recent government announcements about Network North, an initiative aimed at enhancing transportation links in this region.

Question

What steps he is taking to increase transport connectivity between towns and cities in the north-west. In light of Network North, the questioner seeks specific initiatives such as investment amounts and railway projects that will improve travel options for residents and visitors alike.

Answer from Huw Merriman

Network North will see a further £19.8 billion-worth of investment in the north of England following the redirection of funding from High Speed 2. That is in addition to what has already been committed through the £3.5 billion to northern city regions from the first round of the city region sustainable transport settlements; the development of Northern Powerhouse Rail, which will transform rail connectivity between the north of England's key economic centres; and £11 billion for the trans-Pennine route upgrade.

Answered
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Q2 Damien Moore Con
Transport
Context

The MP is concerned about the potential economic benefits of a restored Burscough curves rail link, including increased connectivity for Southport and welcoming more visitors to the area.

Question

In light of the Government's commitment to level up through Network North, will my hon. Friend commit to a meeting with me and other key stakeholders to discuss reinstating the Burscough curves rail link, which would connect Southport to Preston and the wider north of England, fulfilling our economic potential and helping us welcome another million visitors a year to Southport?

Answer from Huw Merriman

I am always happy to meet my hon. Friend, and I pay tribute to his doughty campaigning on the reopening of the Burscough curves. It is for local transport authorities to consider whether such projects are the best way to meet local transport needs and, if so, whether they wish to develop the schemes from the significant new transport budgets that the Government will shortly be allocating from HS2 savings.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer avoids committing to a specific meeting or timeline for discussing the Burscough curves rail link.

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Q3 Stephen Morgan Lab Portsmouth South
Transport
Context

The MP is challenging the government's claim that scrapping High Speed 2 will lead to increased capacity on the west coast mainline, referencing a leaked document which contradicts these assertions.

Question

When the Prime Minister made the decision to scrap HS2, the Department for Transport said that the plan would “lead to increased capacity on the west coast mainline.” That is not correct, is it? I have a leaked document from the Minister's own officials that proves it. In it, they admit that the decision will mean fewer seats than today, with Glasgow and Manchester badly hit, and because HS2 trains cannot tilt, they will be even slower than current trains. Does he not owe it to the north finally to admit that? Does he accept that he will be the high-speed rail Minister who left behind slower trains and fewer seats?

Answer from Huw Merriman

Obviously, we do not comment on documents that may or may not have been leaked. What I can say is that the HS2 train design has always had capacity for 500 seats; if the trains had doubled up to 400 metres in length, the capacity would, of course, be 1,000 seats. The Network North document committed half a billion pounds to look at unlocking further capacity. Let us be quite clear that the 140 miles of HS2 being built to Birmingham will reduce the journey times not only to Birmingham, but to Manchester by another 27 minutes, and to Liverpool by 26 minutes. As far as the tilting is concerned, as the Department made clear to the Public Accounts Committee, we are looking at where those speeds can still be achieved on the west coast main line without the need to tilt.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not admit any negative impacts on capacity or speed but provides details on the train design and journey times.

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