Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the estimated costs of compensating (1) passenger and freight operators, and (2) passengers, for the 227 weekend closures of the West Coast Main Line planned over a ten year period during the construction of HS2 Phases 1 and 2A; and whether those costs are included in the estimated construction costs of HS2.

HS2 Ltd and Network Rail are working collaboratively to minimise the impact of the necessary works on the West Coast Main Line associated with the construction of HS2. The normal industry compensations process will be applied and compensations budgets are included in the current cost estimate for HS2.