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Transport (North-West)

I agree very much with what the hon. Gentleman says about trying to find new opportunities whereby rail travel can benefit more of our community. However, before we consider building new stations, do we not also need to look at the state of current stations? That is particularly the case for those stations in the north-west that are at the pinch-point and are major category A stations, such as Crewe, which has lost out in the latest funding review by the Office of Rail Regulation. The funding that Network Rail wants will not be in place to ensure that Crewe station, which should be the gateway into the north-west, is in the state and category that it should be.