West Coast Main Line: Track Maintenance (Hansard, 24 February 1997)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Viscount Goschen)
My Lords, the Health and Safety Executive, which is responsible for safety regulation on the railways, is not aware of any major problems with the track on the West Coast Main Line. Since 1994 Railtrack has invested some £168.6 million on the line and expects to spend a total of £1.35 billion to renew the core infrastructure.

§ Lord Berkeley
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. I am glad that the Health and Safety Executive is not aware of any defects, but perhaps I may put the Minister right. In the January edition of the Locomotive Journal, train drivers quote several cases on the fast tracks between Berkhamsted and Bushey where eight out of 10 sleepers have no clips on them to hold the tracks in the right place. The drivers are concerned about safety. Will the Government ensure that the 898 Health and Safety Executive looks into the matter quickly and puts an enforcement notice on Railtrack to correct the defects?

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, safety is taken extremely seriously on the railway, as it is as regards all transport modes. I understand that an HSE inspector visited the Berkhamsted and Bushey areas on 18th February to inspect the track condition. The HSE is satisfied that the condition of the track, as the inspectors saw it on that day, does not present a significant risk to the public or to staff.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, people in North Wales are particularly concerned about the state of the track between Chester and Holyhead. I have brought the question up before and have not received a satisfactory reply. Can the Minister say how much money is set by to be spent on the track?

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, the Question is about the track on the West Coast Main Line. Clearly, visitors to North Wales will benefit from the section of the West Coast Main Line on which they travel until they depart and head off to North Wales. The total amount for the West Coast Main Line is £1.35 billion. That is a major infrastructure spend and will benefit all those who use either the whole line or part of it.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, I am sorry to intervene again but that is not a satisfactory reply. Can the Minister tell me precisely what is being done for the line from Chester to Holyhead? He dealt with another area which is very extensive, but we are concerned with North Wales. Does the Minister agree that Welsh people are entitled to as good a service as the rest of the country?

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, the Question on the Order Paper relates to the West Coast Main Line. I shall, of course, endeavour to ascertain the details requested by the noble Lord and write to him.

§ Baroness Thomas of Walliswood
My Lords, is it not true that the West Coast Main Line qualifies for assistance under the European Union's TERN programme because it leads to the connection to Holyhead and Northern Ireland? So the question asked by the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn, was relevant. Will the Minister comment on it? Furthermore, the noble Viscount referred to the enormous programme for the improvement of the line. Does not that suggest that Railtrack is not entirely satisfied with the situation as it is? Nor is it satisfied with the usage of the line, punctuality or the times kept by trains on the line to the major provincial cities in the North West.

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, first, yes, the noble Baroness is correct, I understand that European Union TENs funding has been applicable to the line. Secondly, the fact that Railtrack has pledged to invest £1.35 billion plus the additional money for the passenger upgrade to accommodate tilting trains on the line signifies its 899 acceptance that a great deal of progress needs to be made on the line. I understand that it was last upgraded in the 1970s, so there is a wide and overall acceptance that, while the maintenance spend is appropriate at the moment, in addition the whole line needs significant upgrading. That is why we are talking about such enormous sums.

§ Lord Dixon-Smith
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that, had the West Coast Main Line still been under the fiscal control of the Treasury, the kinds of financial commitment that have just been made on its future would probably not have been possible?

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, my noble friend points to one of the very important elements of privatisation. Clearly, were it still subject to the scrutiny of public finances, it would not be possible to give certainty, in the way that Railtrack has given certainty, about the money that will be spent on that line. It will result in faster, more reliable and generally better services. We believe that everyone should welcome that.

§ Lord Clinton-Davis
My Lords, can we return to the Question put by my noble friend Lord Berkeley? Is it not a fact that an improvement notice was served by the Health and Safety Executive on 29th February 1996, following a derailment on 14th December 1995, for bringing track up to standard in the London (Euston) area? How has Railtrack complied with that obligation, bearing in mind that it was given a deadline of 28th February? Should we have some information about that as there are only four days left for compliance? Can the Minister explain why there is not a single word about that in the document sent by Railtrack to Members of this House—and presumably elsewhere—entitled Investing in Britain's Railways, which was received today? Is not that a singular omission? Why?

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, it is for Railtrack to justify what is put in its document. It is not a document that has been prepared by the Government. The noble Lord should address his question to Railtrack. The HSE has inspected the track at Euston and notes that there has been a considerable improvement in the condition. HSE has granted a one-month extension to the improvement notice deadline of 28th February this year to enable completion of four outstanding items of work. I understand that HSE is satisfied that public safety is not compromised by granting that extension.

§ Lord Rochester
My Lords, the noble Lord said that expenditure on maintenance on the line at the present time is appropriate. Does he realise that that is not much comfort to people like myself who travel on that line every week and are constantly told of delays due to signalling failure, engine breakdown and so on?

§ Viscount Goschen
Yes, my Lords, I understand that. That is why I imagine that the noble Lord 900 welcomes the major eight-year £1.35 billion programme. It is a massive project. It is not possible to accomplish it in a short timescale without major disruption. Indeed, it would be like digging up the M.1 and closing all the lanes at one time. So, while it is possible to maintain the current infrastructure, Railtrack looks much more into the long term and agrees with the noble Lord that massive improvement and modernisation is needed. That will be brought about by that very programme.

§ Lord Berkeley
My Lords, the Minister mentioned Railtrack's interest in the long term, and that document bears it out. But does he agree that the chaos caused by privatisation has taken Railtrack's eye off maintenance to the severe detriment of the existing services?

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, no—no chaos—and no, I do not agree with the noble Lord's second assertion either.