Extract from Transport Questions: Rail Network Capacity - Jan 28
Friday, 29 January 2021 08:19
Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con): What steps he is taking
to expand capacity on the rail network. The Minister of State,
Department for Transport (Andrew Stephenson): The Government have
made record investments in building and modernising our rail
network, and providing capacity for rail users. The spending review
included over £58 billion of investment for road and rail transport
between 2021 and 2025, delivering some of the Government’s largest
capital projects and helping us to...Request free trial
(Chipping
Barnet) (Con): What steps he is taking to expand
capacity on the rail network.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (): The Government have made record
investments in building and modernising our rail network, and
providing capacity for rail users. The spending review included
over £58 billion of investment for road and rail transport between
2021 and 2025, delivering some of the Government’s largest capital
projects and helping us to build back better post
covid-19.
[V]:
The Government’s programme of rail improvements is the
biggest since the Victorian era. Will the Minister confirm that it
is going ahead, even if passenger numbers take some time to recover
from the covid outbreak? Will he also ensure that it delivers
significant improvements to connections between our great northern
cities, because that is essential to levelling up economic
opportunities in our country?
: My right hon. Friend makes an
important point. We are getting on with delivering record amounts
of investment in our rail infrastructure, particularly across the
north, with the Transpennine route upgrade. We
announced £589 million for that investment, joining Manchester,
Leeds and other great cities across the north of England. That will
be the biggest investment in the conventional rail network. Of
course, at the same time we are also making progress with major
infrastructure projects such as high-speed rail; last week we
concluded the parliamentary passage of the High Speed Rail (West
Midlands - Crewe) Bill, taking the railway line from the west
midlands through to Crewe.
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