§ 79. Sir CHARLES HANSONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether any and, if so, what additional facilities have been arranged to accommodate the mid-day traffic on the underground railways?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI have made inquiries and am informed by the companies concerned that the following mid-day improvements have been effected:
- Baker Street and Waterloo.—A five-car train is run each 2½ minutes, as compared with a three-car train each 2½ minutes.
- Piccadilly.—A three-car train each 2½ minutes, as against each 3½ minutes.
2212 - Hampstead and Highgate.—A five-car train each 5 minutes on the branches giving a joint 2½ minutes' service south of Camden Town, as against a three-car train.
- City and South London.—A five-car train each 4 minutes, as against each 4¾ minutes.
- Central London Railway.—Three additional six-car trains, making a service equivalent to a 2-minute service instead of 2½ minutes.
- District Railway.—Six-car trains instead of four-car trains each 2½ minutes between South Kensington and Mansion House. (With the exception of the Circle Trains, which remain four and five-car trains.)
§ The above arrangements involve an additional 243 cars during the mid-day hours.
§ Sir F. LOWEThe information my hon. Friend has received leads him to believe that the congestion on the Metropolitan and District Railways has been apparently relieved? Would it not be possible for the Board of Trade to make representations to the railway companies to put on more trains—certainly at present they are insufficient to carry the passengers'?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANWe are doing everything we possibly can to persuade the companies to do that, and the companies are doing everything they can to carry out the request.