Railways: Repairs and Maintenance
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 118920, whether she has plans to undertake a BCR assessment for the dualling of single sections of the Clitheroe to Manchester Victoria line.
Answered by Keir Mather
The most recent appraisal was undertaken in 2014 as part of the Blackburn to Manchester Rail Scheme, which assessed options to double the single-track sections between Blackburn and Bolton.
The preferred option was to extend the Darwen passing loop, which presented a core BCR of 1.67. The £13.8 million scheme was funded by Blackburn & Darwen Council and the Local Growth Fund. It was delivered by Network Rail in 2015 and the half hourly rail service between Blackburn and Manchester Victoria commenced in December 2017.
The Department has no plans to undertake further economic analysis or development work on this corridor, but would welcome discussions with Lancashire County Combined Authority, should they wish to prioritise any such analysis locally.
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