Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they gave to UK involvement in the proposed transcontinental railway connecting the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, requiring 4.6 million tons of steel, and of the impact of the project on the British steel, engineering, manufacturing and logistics sectors.

The project referenced is at an early stage, however the Department for Business and Trade is actively involved in a range of railway projects in Africa. Through its network of staff, DBT supports UK companies access opportunities in the rail, engineering and manufacturing sectors, creating UK jobs and growth.

Recent examples include:

- A Letter of Intent signed last year between the Southern African Railway Association (SARA) and the UK Railway Association, committing to explore priority rail corridors in Southern Africa, which also includes the Tanzanian, Angolan and DR Congo railway companies

- There have also been notable commercial successes in recent years, including Alstom winning a £2.3billion contract for the 61-mile monorail network in Cairo in 2019. In total, 272 Cairo Monorail cars were assembled and tested at the company's site in Derby, supporting hundreds of jobs across the UK.