Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the completion date for the electrification of the Lakes Line from Oxenholme to Windermere.

We are committed to seeing improved services on the Lakes Line. Passengers in the Lake District will benefit from four direct services a day in each direction between Windermere and Manchester Airport from May 2018. From 2019, there will be brand new trains with more seats and better on-board facilities including air conditioning, toilets, free wi-fi and plug sockets, subject to business case. Northern, the train operator, will also begin work to explore the possibility of deploying alternative-fuel trains on the route by 2021, improving comfort and on-board facilities for passengers whilst protecting the sensitive environment of this World Heritage Site. This replaces plans to electrify the line between Windermere and Oxenholme.