Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ian Mearns and Chris Heaton-Harris

Thursday 12th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Ian Mearns (Gateshead) (Lab)]

At a recent meeting, London North Eastern Railway shared with me its ambition to introduce an extra train per hour between Newcastle and King’s Cross, but owing to a lack of capacity on the east coast main line, this can only be achieved by curtailing other providers’ services at York, meaning that fewer trains, if any, will run between Edinburgh, Tyneside, Tees Valley, south and west Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside. How soon can we expect the levelling-up investment on the east coast main line north of York necessary to fulfil all these competing ambitions?

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

I am fully aware of the issue that the hon. Gentleman—no, right hon. Gentleman?

[Ian Mearns]

indicated dissent.