Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when strategic development of the Manchester Piccadilly to West Yorkshire section of Northern Powerhouse Rail commenced; who is responsible for overseeing that work; what the estimated timeline for completing the work is; and what budget his Department has allocated for delivering that section.

The Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) and Network North set out the strategic plan and funding for Northern Powerhouse Rail. The high-level route will continue to be developed as set out in the IRP. This includes sections of the track between Manchester Piccadilly to West Yorkshire. The government is working closely with our delivery partners including Network Rail and HS2 Ltd to achieve this. The government aims to complete Northern Powerhouse Rail by the mid-2040s.