§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the progress of plans to build a high-speed rail link between London and Liverpool.
§ Mr. PortilloThe west coast main line already offers a high-speed service, and further improvements over the next few years will raise the maximum line speed further on much of the route. Journey time will also be reduced as a result of revised maintenance procedures. I am not aware of any plans to build a new line.