Johnny Mercer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Johnny Mercer on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to electrify the South Devon Banks section of the rail line between Newton Abbott and Plymouth by 2018.

Claire Perry

Plans to electrify the South Devon Banks section of the rail line between Newton Abbott and Plymouth are not included within the current Great Western Main Line electrification program. The Department expects that an update to the industry electrification strategy will be published by Network Rail as a draft for consultation in early 2016. This will take into account the outcome of Sir Peter Hendy’s Review of Network Rail’s 2014-2019 rail enhancements portfolio which is expected later this Autumn. The draft strategy considers potential routes for further electrification in Great Britain including those in the South West.