§ 21. Mr. Pageasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what are his conclusions from investigation into the collision between the Manchester—Euston express and a lorry on 5th November, 1957; whether he is now investigating three subsequent incidents of vehicles running down embankments and on to railway lines, namely, at Maesycwmmer, Monmouthshire, on 18th December, 1957, at White Hill, Wylye, Wiltshire, on 20th December, 1957, and at Rabbits Bridge Road, Ilford, on 6th January, 1958; and what proposals he has for preventing such accidents.
§ Mr. WatkinsonFollowing investigations at the site of the first accident referred to, at Kilsby, Northamptonshire, arrangements have been made to provide special "Black Spot" warning signs, which will be erected as soon as the manufacturers deliver them. It has also been decided to erect substantial guard fenders on the bridge approaches, to prevent vehicles out of control from falling into the railway cutting. I am planning to supersede this section of trunk road A.5 as the main through traffic route by constructing in the next two or three years a short extension of the London—Birmingham Motorway from the Watford Gap to Crick. The three incidents at other sites are being investigated to deter mine whether additional protective measures are necessary.
§ Mr. PageWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for that satisfactory reply relating to the first part of my Question, may I ask if he is aware that this type of accident—cars and lorries running down railway embankments on to the railway line—is on the increase and that, since this Question was tabled, two more such accidents have been reported in the newspapers in addition to the three mentioned in the Question? Will my right hon. Friend treat these as railway accidents into which public inquiry is made, rather than as road accidents in respect of which his Department obstinately refuses to hold any public inquiry?
§ Mr. WatkinsonNo, I cannot agree to that. I have said that we will look carefully into these incidents, and if my hon. Friend likes to give me any more particulars I will have them looked at, too.