Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has undertaken an environmental impact assessment of opening a proposed Leamside South line.

The Department received a bid for funding to develop proposals to reinstate the Leamside Line (South of Tyne and Wearside) in the first round of the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund. The bid was not successful at that stage and feedback was provided on how it could be improved.

The third round of the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund closed on 5 March and a revised bid was received, which is currently undergoing assessment. We expect to announce outcomes in the Summer.

At this stage it is solely for the promoters of any bid to determine the scope of the assessments that would be carried out should they be successful.