Railway Network

Norman Baker
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which railway lines have been (a) built and (b) reopened in the last 20 years; how many jobs were created (i) directly during the first two years of construction, (ii) indirectly during the first two years of construction and (iii) overall on each project; and how much each project cost.

Chris Mole
The following railway lines were opened or reopened on the national network in the last 20 years:

Paisley Canal Line

Bridgend-Maesteg

Manchester Airport Line

Blackburn-Clitheroe (regular passenger services)

Jewellery Line (Smethwick-Birmingham Snow Hill)

Robin Hood Line

Hednesford-Rugeley

Walsall-Wolverhampton

Heathrow Airport (Heathrow Express/Heathrow Connect)

Brighouse Line

Eastleigh to Romsey (via Chandlers Ford)

Channel Tunnel rail link

Vale of Glamorgan

Larkhall Line

Ebbw Vale Line

Alloa Line

Kettering to Corby.

This list excludes freight only, London Underground, tramways, Docklands Light Railway, heritage and other independent railways.

New and reopened lines in Scotland and Wales are included in this list even though for part of the period openings and re-openings have been a devolved matter.

The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of jobs created in each project or the cost of each project.