Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the potential effect of including Bradford on the Manchester to Leeds corridor of the Northern Powerhouse Rail route on (a) regional connectivity and (b) the regional economy.

Northern Powerhouse Rail aims to transform connectivity and economic growth. The assessment of proposals therefore includes their comparative connectivity and economic outcomes. Work to assess options is ongoing, including options serving Bradford. The Government is providing up to £500,000 funding to Bradford City Council to develop the city’s regeneration and development plans to support that work. We are currently awaiting the National Infrastructure Commission’s Rail Needs Assessment for the North and Midlands, which will inform the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan.