National Transport Network (Hansard, 10 June 1996)

§ 11. Mr. Pope
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his assessment of the state of the nation's transport network; and if he will make a statement. [30611]

§ Sir George Young
The nation's transport networks have improved significantly as a result of public and private investment over the past 17 years, and will continue to benefit from the policies outlined in the Green Paper "Transport: The Way Forward".

§ Mr. Pope
That is the answer of someone who does not travel regularly between London and the north-west of England. Does the Secretary of State accept that both road and rail links between London and the north-west are inadequate? Will he give an assurance that the franchise for the InterCity west coast main line will include a specification to upgrade the line so that it can take high-speed trains, which will cut the journey time between Manchester and London to two hours?

§ Sir George Young
As the hon. Gentleman knows, the core modernisation programme includes the introduction of a modern train signalling and control system, improved power supply and track renewal, which will bring improved reliability and some increase in capacity to the west coast main line route. An upgrade will depend on negotiations between Opraf and those who are interested in bidding for the franchise.

§ Sir Alan Haselhurst
Does my right hon. Friend accept that, when considering extensions of the rail network, people can often be as opposed to such developments on environmental grounds as they are to extensions of the road network? Is it not significant that, in her two trips to the Dispatch Box this afternoon, the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Ms Short) was unable to make any commitment about funds that a Labour Government, were there to be one, might use to extend the rail network? Is it not more sensible to ensure more effective use of the existing rail network as a precursor to its extension?

§ Sir George Young
My hon. Friend poses, in his eloquent way, the key questions that everyone wants to know about Labour's transport policy: first, what is it and, secondly, how will it pay for it?

§ Mr. Martlew
Let us return to the west coast main line. Is the Minister happy that the Opraf director has said that it will take 12 years to upgrade the west coast main line and it will be seven years before there is any new rolling stock on that line? Can the Minister remember the Chancellor's 1993 Budget, which provided money to upgrade the west coast main line? Why has not that money been spent?

§ Sir George Young
As I said in response to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans) earlier, Railtrack is moving forward with a substantial £1 billion core modernisation programme on the west coast main line. It has awarded two parallel contracts for the signalling and control systems and will begin the main contract letting in 1996; it is estimated that work will start early in 1997. What we all want to know from Opposition Members is how they will find the resources for the contract if it is not funded by the private sector, to which they are opposed.