Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the effect will be on the transpennine community of the upgrade of train lines on the Manchester-Leeds-York railway line.

The transpennine community will benefit in better journeys, improved connections and more modern trains from the Government's £1bn investment in the rail network in the north of England. The Government is considering how the next Northern and TransPennine Express franchises starting in 2016 can best make use of this investment; and is currently, jointly with the Rail North consortium, seeking the views of passengers and communities on the improvements they want to see in a public consultation.