Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) recent progress he has made on and (b) future plans he has to electrify rail networks in the north of England.

We are continuing to progress development and design of the TransPennine Route Upgrade, including the examination of the case for full electrification of the route. The electrification of the Midland Main Line, from Market Harborough to Nottingham and Sheffield, is also currently being examined by the Department and Network Rail and is at an early stage of development.

Electrification of the rail network will be an important part of how we will decarbonise the railway and meet net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Therefore, the Department will consider further electrification schemes with Network Rail to ensure that they can be delivered efficiently and affordably.