The main mass transit mode between Scotland and England, in terms of passengers and rail freight, relies on two increasingly overloaded rail arteries (the West Coast and East Coast mainlines). It is imperative that we find solutions todeliver greater capacity on these routes to ensure longer-term economic sustainability and connectivity. Accordingly, I want the UK Government toaccelerate and expandHS2 to Scotland, via the West Coast and East Coast, potentially by means of dynamic bypassing of the existing lines as a credible and affordable strategy in addressing modal shift and emissions reduction, as well as improving capacity and connectivity. Also, to reiterate the agreement UK and Scottish Ministers have already made to identify options that could reduce the Anglo-Scottish rail journey time to a 3 hour target, rather than the 3 hour 38 minute journey time achieved by the baseline HS2 Anglo-Scottish service specification.It is imperative that all nations and regions of Britain benefit from the sustainable growth and prosperity that HS2 will deliver both in its construction and its implementation. I look forward to a commitment from your Government to commence design and development activity to deliver infrastructure that provides greater rail capacity throughout the routes of the West Coast and East Coast corridors. With regard to strategic rail freight, I have long argued, for rail freight to achieve its economic potential and our environmental objectives, the rail network requires all of its routes to Britain’s container ports to be electrified. The same issue now holds true in respect of connectivity to all the newly designated Freeports. Accordingly, I would welcome your commitment to address infill electrification on port routes as a matter of urgency.