Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential (a) timescale for delivery, (b) cost to the public purse and (c) fiscal merits of a railway track upgrade that would reduce the time to travel between Shrewsbury and Birmingham to 45 minutes.

Midlands Connect is currently developing proposals to improve journey times between Birmingham and Shrewsbury. Its recommendations will be presented later this year in a strategic outline business case. This will assess the infrastructure enhancements required, timescales for delivery, costs, and financial benefits of the scheme. No formal assessment has been made by the Department ahead of their expected submission.