§ 69. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether he has received a report of the serious damage by fire to the Goole railway bridge; whether he is aware that this damage seriously hampers railway traffic between Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire and the South of England; whether steps are being taken to repair the damage without delay; and whether, in reconstructing this bridge, he will approach the railway companies concerned with a view to adapting the bridge for road traffic as well as railway traffic, in view of the fact that road traffic has to go 954 all the way round by Selby or over an inadequate ferry at present?
§ Mr. NEALThe North Eastern Railway Company have furnished me with a report on this subject, from which it appears that, while the jetty and engine room under the bridge were seriously damaged, only slight damage was done to the machinery controlling the bridge, and practically none to the swing bridge itself. Every step is being taken to put the bridge into a condition for reopening for the passage of river traffic with the least possible delay, and the repairs necessary to permit of the resumption of railway traffic having been carried out, the working of such traffic over the bridge was resumed at midnight on Friday last. In the circumstances, no question of the reconstruction of the bridge arises at present.