Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the benefits of (a) Crossrail and (b) High Speed 2 are for North East England.

Both Crossrail and High Speed 2 will provide benefits that reach far beyond the towns and regions directly served by the new lines.

Specifically:

a) The Crossrail project is estimated to generate at least £42 billion for the UK economy, and is generating enough work to support the equivalent of 55,000 full time jobs throughout the project and its supply chain all around the UK. In total, approximately 62% of suppliers are based outside London. A number of these suppliers have bases in the North East including Mammoet, who supplied cranes and specialist equipment to help assemble the tunnelling machines, and Cleveland Bridge, based in Darlington, who supplied steel to Crossrail sites.

b) On HS2 with respect to the North East specifically, the Secretary of State has confirmed the connection to the ECML at Church Fenton, east of Leeds. This link will help ensure that the Eastern Leg of the HS2 route is fully integrated into the wider rail network. On current plans the link will be used by HS2 services to York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle from both Birmingham and London, delivering improved connectivity and journey times between those locations.