Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, to whom and by what mechanism is Rail North accountable.

The Rail North consortium has been formed by 30 Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) in the North of England to help deliver a vision for a strengthened role for rail in supporting economic growth in the region. The LTAs are currently formalising Rail North’s governance. This will comprise:

• an Association of Local Transport Authorities formed under the Local Government Act 1972, governed by a Leaders’ Committee, which all 30 LTAs will be eligible to join;

• a Special Purpose Vehicle (company limited by guarantee) called Rail North Ltd. All LTAs who are members of the Association would be entitled to be members of Rail North Ltd, with each of the geographical subgroups established by the Leaders Committee being able to appoint one elected member to the Board of Rail North Ltd. It is expected that the company will be formed in the next few weeks.