Sunday Services (Hansard, 13 May 1964)

§ 29. Mr. Ronald Bell
asked the Minister of Transport whether he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the British Railways Board that Sunday services on British Railways should not be withdrawn without regard to the existence or provision of alternative public transport services.

§ Mr. Galbraith
No, Sir. Parliament has distinguished, in the Transport Act, 1962, between reductions of passenger services and complete closures. The effect of Section 56 of the Act is that reductions, which include the closure of stations on Sundays, are left to the discretion of the Railways Board. My right hon. Friend does not propose to interfere with that discretion.

§ Mr. Bell
When services are withdrawn on weekdays—which is what closure virtually means—it is done because stations are not economic, and yet Ministerial undertakings have been given in that connection. What is the logical distinction between that and withdrawing a Sunday service, which, as in the case of Iver station in my constituency, of which the Parliamentary Secretary will know, may cause almost equal inconvenience?

§ Mr. Galbraith
A closure is a closure and that is what the Act refers to. This is not a closure but a reduction of services. I am sorry that I cannot help my hon. Friend, but, as he probably knows, there are two bus services on Sundays, one to Slough and one to Uxbridge, fairly frequent regular services which ought to help his constituents.

Mr. Lee
Is the hon. Gentleman aware that some of us would not accept the premise of his hon. Friend, and that those of us whose constituencies are suffering from railway station closures are prepared to vouch that the stations are economic?

§ Mr. Galbraith
I think that I can give an undertaking that no station service which has been closed so far has been other than losing a great deal of money.

§ Mr. Bell
Does my hon. Friend realise that I am far from agreeing that the station which I am talking about is uneconomic? On the general aspect, does he not realise that the withdrawal of railway services without reference to the provision of alternative services seems to be wrong in principle, whether the services are on Sundays or weekdays? Ought there not to be a public transport service serving every community, even if it happens not to be a railway service?

§ Mr. Galbraith
My hon. Friend probably knows that, if dissatisfied, his constituents can make representations to the Transport Users' Consultative Committee, which is what they ought to do.