Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Oral Answer of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport of 28 January 2016, Official Report, columns 408-9, on rail infrastructure South-West, what progress his Department has made on funding the technical feasibility study referred to in that Answer.

We are absolutely committed to making sure that the South West has the best infrastructure possible and we are determined to do everything possible to stop damage like we saw in 2014 happening again. That is why we have invested £31 million into improving the resilience of the route, Network Rail spent £40 million on repairing and strengthening the line at Dawlish after the extreme weather, and routine maintenance continues to strengthen the line further.

We are working with Network Rail and the Peninsula Rail Task Force as they explore the potential for longer-term improvements in the area, and decisions on funding for these improvements will be taken in due course.