§ 3. Sir P. Hannonasked the Minister of War Transport whether his attention has been called to the safety signal devices introduced on the Great Western Railway with beneficent results in the prevention of accidents; and whether a similar system will be made compulsory on all railways in Great Britain.
§ Mr. BarnesI assume the hon. Member refers to the automatic train control ap- 1658 paratus which the Great Western Railway have used for many years. The war held up the experiments which the L.M.S. and L.N.E.R. were making with another type of equipment for the same purpose. What is the best device to assist drivers under differing conditions is a complex question, and pending further consideration I should not feel justified in requiring the general adoption of a particular type of automatic train control equipment.
§ Sir P. HannonIs it not a fact that if a particular device for the safety of the travelling public is brought into operation by one railway company, it should be made immediately available for all the railway companies in the country?
§ Mr. BarnesYes, but there is such a thing as a difference of opinion between the experts.