Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the (a) business case and (b) estimated cost for the Golborne Spur section of phase 2b of High Speed Two.

The Department for Transport published the Business Case for HS2 Phase 2 on 17 July 2017, which includes a connection to the West Coast Mainline near Golborne https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-phase-two-economic-case.

We will continue to update periodically cost estimates and business cases for delivery of HS2 in line with the Government’s protocol for developing major projects. Our latest estimates indicate that the HS2 network will cost between £72-£98 billion with Phase 2b in the region of between £33-£46 billion. The expenditure on Golborne falls within this remit.

As part of the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands we will assess the Golborne Junction to consider the benefits, costs and the best way to serve the North West and Scotland.