HL Deb 22 October 1976 vol 375 cc1658-9

11.7 a.m.

Lord MERRIVALE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how British Rail propose to invest the proposed £5 million to improve the central London—Gatwick rail service, bearing in mind the £70 million expansion and improvement programme of the British Airports Authority for Gatwick Airport.

Baroness STEDMAN

My Lords, we have approved a proposal by the Railways Board to spend nearly £5 million on improving the facilities at Gatwick Station to cope with the expected increase in airport traffic. The improvements are designed to complement the expansion and improvement of the Airport itself.

Lord MERRIVALE

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that reply. Am I right in understanding, first, that the expenditure is to do solely with the station and not with the rolling stock and service generally? In the interim period will the Minister and the Government strongly urge upon British Rail the necessity for improving the quality and the cleanliness of the rolling stock on this line? Would the noble Baroness not also agree that, for instance, after taking off from Charles de Gaulle Airport outside Paris and going through Gatwick Airport the impression on boarding one of these frequent, but dirty, trains is deplorable?

Baroness STEDMAN

My Lords, the money is to be spent to build a raft over the existing station platforms which will carry the ticket and the travel offices, the train departure indicators and the staff accommodation. There will be a walkway to connect this with the airport terminal at the same level. There will be escalators and baggage lifts to the station platforms, and only consequential alterations to the track and signalling. The actual rolling stock itself is not involved in this £5 million, but I will bring the comments of the noble Lord to the attention of my Department.

Lord MERRIVALE

My Lords, I am most grateful for the latter part of the reply given by the noble Baroness. Does she not agree, and will she not urge upon British Rail to agree, that much of the rolling stock is very old-fashioned and compares very ill-favourably, for instance, with the modern rolling stock on Inter-City Services?

Baroness STEDMAN

My Lords, expect that it is a question of money being available to replace it, but I will certainly make sure that British Rail are advised of the noble Lord's opinions.