Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits and value for money of the Dollands Moor to Wembley W12 gauge enhancement project; what steps they are taking to implement this project; and what discussions they have had with businesses to unlock private investment in this project.

The Government engages regularly with the international rail sector to discuss a range of issues, including freight traffic flows and proposals to operate additional rail freight services through the Channel Tunnel. It is ultimately a commercial decision for rail freight operators as to whether to facilitate new services, but the Government is open to engaging with industry-led proposals to support opportunities for rail freight and potential new operators where there is a commercial proposition.

With respect to gauge enhancement, the Government is engaging with Network Rail on their developing proposals on Kent routes (including the Dollands Moor to Wembley route) to support Channel Tunnel traffic, and we await further details on this, including potential benefits and delivery mechanisms. Any investment decision will be subject to the usual business case process to ensure value for money.