HC Deb 23 April 2002 vol 384 cc137-8
5. Vernon Coaker (Gedling)

What assessment he has made of the development of the local rail network in Greater Nottingham. [49397]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Mr. David Jamieson)

We have established the Strategic Rail Authority with a fundamental purpose to secure the development of the railway network. The authority has published its first strategic plan, which lists the developments being taken forward—a number of which will benefit Greater Nottingham.

Vernon Coaker

May I tell my hon. Friend that Nottingham station is full, and that we shall not be able to develop the local rail network until that problem is overcome and, in particular, until the Trent junction signal box is improved to an adequate standard? Will my hon. Friend try to give some impetus to that plan? It has been around for a number of years and it needs—for want of a better word—a bit of oomph behind it to try to get it moving. We have old pit lines and a local rail network—we have everything in place—hut the signalling needs to be improved so that we can use Nottingham station and have a properly functioning, expanded local rail network, which will help to address the commuter problems in Greater Nottingham.

Mr. Jamieson

On the important subject of the railway station. I know that the Nottingham councils have funded a feasibility study, in partnership with Railtrack and the train operating companies, into improving passenger capacity and integration, particularly with the Nottingham express transit service. I hope that it will be a candidate for railway passenger partnership funding. My hon. Friend will know that the complexities of the rail system in the area around the Trent junction are considerable, and I am afraid that there is no single, simple solution to that problem. However, the SRA will be trying to get some oomph behind the problem by working with Railtrack on the feasibility study to achieve incremental improvements in performance and to increase capacity to benefit rail users in the area. I am sure that my hon. Friend will be around later in the year when my right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport is due to open some of the new improvements to the Robin Hood line.