Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to receive the consultant's report into the proposed freight line between Liverpool Docks and Yorkshire, via a reinstated Colne–Skipton line; when they expect to publish it; and what the next steps for the project will be.

Work is advancing well. We expect to receive the outputs of the further feasibility work on the Colne-Skipton reinstatement soon, complementing the initial Strategic Outline Business Case completed in December 2018. These will inform the Government’s decision as to whether a reinstatement scheme should progress to the ‘develop’ stage of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline. The results of the feasibility work will be published at that point.

This is part of our new approach to rail enhancements to ensure we address the needs of passengers and freight, and that funding commitments appropriately reflect the stage of development of schemes.