Network SouthEast (Hansard, 18 May 1992)

§ 11. Mr. Merchant
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about Network SouthEast's achievement of its passenger services performance targets; and what progress is being made with investment in the Kent link line.

§ Mr. Freeman
For the first four months of this year, 13 out of 15 Network SouthEast routes performed above the threshold for compensation after January for season ticket holders. Kent link did not. The introduction of Networkers will help British Rail to maintain better reliability and punctuality.

§ Mr. Merchant
Is my hon. Friend aware that although the majority of the travelling public in south London welcome the Government's steps to improve the quality and level of services, services on the Orpington to London line are still unacceptable? What pressure can be brought to bear on BR to improve the service?

§ Mr. Freeman
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for the welcome that he gave the passengers charter, which has been a success. It is part of the Government's initiative with the citizens charter—[Interruption.] It has been a great success. To hasten improvements on the line in my hon. Friend's constituency, I shall write to the chairman of British Rail and ask him to invite my hon. Friend, myself and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to ride on the first Networker service from Orpington.

§ Mr. Snape
If the passenger service targets are such a success, as the Minister says, why are they not extended to private enterprise airlines, which have aircraft taking off from and landing at private enterprise airports, or even to 12 private enterprise bus companies, many of which have timetables that are shrouded in mystery? Why is it that only the public sector, including British Rail, has the benefit of this "success"?

§ Mr. Freeman
That is because the private sector provisions for transport have performed extremely well, with the deregulation of buses, the privatisation of British Airways and the privatisation of the long-distance coach market. We have seen an enormous increase in the quality of travel and of services provided by the private sector. We intend to bring the same benefits to British Rail.

§ Mr. Sims
As a frequent critic of Kent link, I commend Network SouthEast for the frank way in which it is publicising the fact that it is failing to live up to its own standards. Is my hon. Friend aware that my constituents and those of my hon. Friend the Member for Beckenham (Mr. Merchant), along with others, want a reliable service, which would mean fewer delays and cancellations? The prospect of some discount at some future date is small compensation for missed business appointments and family engagements.

§ Mr. Freeman
I am sure that my hon. Friend is right and that the travelling public want a reliable and less overcrowded service. Certainly, reliability will be improved by the new trains, by the completion of signalling work in south-east England and by the completion of the channel tunnel preparatory works, which have complicated Kent link services. I agree with my hon. Friend that reliability is the key. I very much hope that when the time comes for discounts for season ticket holders, there will be no such payments because British Rail will have met all the targets.