Written question asked by Richard Holden (Conservative) on Tuesday, 17 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 19 March 2026. It was answered by Keir Mather (Labour) on Wednesday, 25 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

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Ribble Valley Line: Rolling Stock

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department provides to Northern Trains Ltd on the allocation of rolling stock between routes; whether the Clitheroe–Manchester line receives comparable peak-time capacity to commuter routes in Greater Manchester; and whether she has had discussions with Northern Trains Ltd on increasing the minimum number of carriages operating on peak-time services on the Clitheroe–Manchester line.

Answer

Rail North Partnership reviews Northern’s Train Formation Capacity Plans twice a year, in line with preparations for the May and December timetable change dates, with Northern required to prepare a plan that best matches available capacity to forecast passenger demand. It is then Northern’s responsibility to manage capacity on a day-to-day basis across its entire network.

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Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

121397

Session

2024-26

Subjects

Rolling stock Ribble Valley line Northern

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk