Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential increase in capacity for commuter services on the West Coast Main Line south of Northampton after the introduction of HS2.
Once HS2 Phase 1 opens, HS2 services will run on dedicated infrastructure between London and the West Midlands, replacing long distance services that currently run on the West Coast Main Line. This will release capacity for additional services, which could include a mixture of commuter, semi-fast, regional and freight trains. No decisions have yet been made as to the train service that will operate on the West Coast Main Line once HS2 opens.
The Department for Transport has appointed West Coast Partnership Development to analyse passenger demand on the route and present options for train service patterns that best allow this demand to be met. The Secretary of State will decide on the preferred option, once it has been subject to consultation, nearer to the time that HS2 opens.