§ SIR HENRY SELWIN-IBBETSONasked the President of the Board of Trade, If his attention has been called, by a statement in "The Times" newspaper of the 18th instant, to the fact 1258 that the points on the North Eastern Railway which led to the fatal accident at Brockley Whins Station have not been altered, notwithstanding the recommendation of the Inspector of the Board of Trade to that effect, and that an exactly similar accident, fortunately without its fatal effects, has in consequence again occurred at the same place? Since he put his Notice on the Paper he had learnt that the accident occurred to an engine and tender, and not to a train; but the points had not been altered, he believed, up to this moment.
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE, in reply, said, he had received a letter from the Chairman of the North-Eastern Railway to enable him to answer that Question. It appeared that the points had been altered, and that the work had been finally completed on the 27th of April last. No accident had really occurred to a train. The circumstance which may have given rise to the rumour was that, before the new arrangements were completed, it was necessary, in certain contingencies, on the arrival of a train, to pass the train for a short time on to the other line of rails, though protected by signals at 1,000 yards distant, and that fact might have given rise in the minds of the passengers to the idea of danger. But since the completion of the work, on the 27th of April, it was no longer necessary to continue that practice.