WOODHEAD TUNNEL

That this House believes that, at a time when the Government Rail White Paper endorses the strategic freight network and forecasts rail usage doubling over 30 years, National Grid's proposal to embark upon a cabling project through the Woodhead Tunnel between Manchester and Sheffield would mean an irrevocable loss of rail capacity; and therefore calls upon the Government to investigate and intervene on this issue as a matter of urgency to prevent this strategic rail route being lost forever.