Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the progress made in electrifying the Great Western Rail route.

Officials at the Department for Transport are in regular dialogue with Network Rail with regards to the programme for Great Western Electrification. The electrification is programmed to be delivered in phases starting with Maidenhead to Newbury, Oxford, Chippenham and Bristol Parkway in December 2016. Chippenham to Bristol Temple Meads electrification is programmed to be delivered in May 2017, and Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway to Cardiff is programmed for December 2017.