Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to re-open any of the routes closed in the Beeching cuts, as pledged in the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto; and if they have any such plans, when they intend to do so.

We have pledged £500m to reopening railway lines and stations. We invited MPs to come forward with proposals. The deadline for these proposals was 16 March. A panel comprising Ministers and rail and community experts are looking at these and we will be writing to applicants on next steps. A second round is planned for June.

Some projects, such as the Ashington Blyth line, have been accelerated and are already in development.