§ 39. Sir D. Robertsonasked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that Rogart railway station is to be kept open for goods traffic but closed to passenger traffic to the inconvenience of the local people, over 2,000 of whom travelled to and from Rogart last year, and that the four daily passenger trains need to stop for only one minute to put down and pick up passengers; and if he will refer the proposed closure of part of Rogart railway station to the appropriate Transport Users' Consultative Committee.
§ Mr. MarplesThis matter has already been fully considered by the Transport Users' Consultative Committee for Scotland.
§ Sir D. RobertsonSince when did it become more important for goods to have precedence over passengers? Surely passengers should have the prior right over goods? If services are kept open for goods, then why not for passengers also?
§ Mr. MarplesThis question has been fully considered, but I looked into it myself, knowing my hon. Friend's tenacity in supplementary questions. People make 2,000 journeys in a year—arrivals and departures—which works out at five or six passenger journeys per day on a total of seven trains per day. That means fewer than one passenger per train—to be exact, .85 of a passenger per train—which makes it difficult to run it at a profit.