§ MR. MONCKTON () Northamptonshire. N.I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether any, and, if so, what, progress has been made by the Great Eastern Railway Company with regard to the improvements at their station at Peterborough, so long and so often promised; and whether the Board of Trade consider them proper and adequate for the present conditions of traffic at that station, and also satisfactory for the convenience and safety of the travelling public.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. RITCHIE,) CroydonIn reply to communications from the Board of Trade the company replied on January 18th last: (1)"That the permanent way alterations are well in hand, but the progress is greatly retarded in consequence of the busy state of the yard on weekdays, so that most of the work has to be carried out on the Sunday. A further alteration has been suggested which the directors have ordered to be carried out, and the engineer has received instructions to push on the work with all speed." And on the 20th inst. that the company's engineer states:—(2)" That he is pushing on the alterations at Peterborough station with all possible speed, having due regard to the requirements of the traffic." The Board must defer expressing any opinion on the improvements until they are completed.