Automatic Train Control (Hansard, 25 January 1956)

§ 29. Sir F. Medlicott
asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to make a statement as to the reason for the delay in adopting throughout British Railways the system of automatic train control which has been working satisfactorily on the Great Western section for so many years.

§ Mr. Watkinson
The system of automatic train control used on the former Great Western Railway has certain technical disadvantages which precludes its 200 universal adoption on British Railways, especially on electrified lines, though it has been very successful under steam operation. The British Transport Commission has been developing an improved system which has been under trial on the east coast main line between New Barnet and Huntingdon for some time. The development of this new equipment has reached an advanced stage and the trial stretch is being extended to cover the 210 track miles of both the lines between King's Cross and Grantham. The ground equipment has already been installed on the down line between King's Cross and Peterborough.

§ Sir F. Medlicott
Is the Minister aware that there has never been any adequate explanation why this system has not been adopted on comparable stretches of railway either before or after nationalisation; and will he do all he can to see that either this system or the improvement to which he refers is put into operation at the earliest possible moment?

§ Mr. Watkinson
The explanation is that unfortunately the system used on the Great Western is not suitable for electrified lines. We are about to undertake a pilot scheme with the new system on a really workable length of main line. It is terribly important that we should get this absolutely right, and that the drivers should trust it implicitly, and that is why I want to do the bigger pilot scheme.

§ Mr. Callaghan
Does not the Minister think that if he looks at the papers he will find that this sort of answer was being given six years ago?

§ Mr. Watkinson indicated dissent.

§ Mr. Callaghan
With great respect, I know it was. May I ask the Minister if he will not look into the papers to see why it has taken six years to reach these conclusions and to get pilot schemes going? For goodness' sake, get the British Transport Commission to hurry up and give a decision on it.

§ Mr. Watkinson
The hon. Gentleman has got the matter quite wrong. The fact is that my inspecting officers are responsible for this delay.

§ Mr. Callaghan
They had better buck up.

§ Mr. Watkinson
The reason for the delay is that I am not going to be responsible for installing a system on British Railways that is not absolutely as fault-free as we can make it. We want it to be trusted by the men who have to use it.

§ Mr. Callaghan
Does the Minister really think that it is justifiable for the inspectors to take a period of six years in which to make up their minds about a system of this sort? Is not he aware that this problem was investigated immediately after nationalisation, and that some decision should have been reached long ago?

§ Mr. Watkinson
What happened when the hon. Gentleman was on this side of the House I do not know, but since we have been responsible—and I have been into this matter personally—I am satisfied that we have been doing all we can to perfect the new system.