HC Deb 29 January 2003 vol 398 cc284-90WH

11 am

Mr. Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh, North and Leith)

I am delighted to have the opportunity to discuss the implications of Strategic Rail Authority plans for Edinburgh. I am pleased that several hon. Members from the Edinburgh area and further afield are in the Chamber.

It has become clear in the past few weeks that financial pressures are starting to have an impact on some of the SRA's work. I am concerned about key projects in the Edinburgh area. I hope that the Minister will give assurances about those and, in a couple of cases, respond to my points at a later stage. I want the projects to go ahead and the Government to provide cash to the SRA and the railway industry to allow the necessary improvements to be undertaken.

The first project that concerns me is the long-awaited upgrading and modernisation of Waverley station. Anyone who uses the station can see that it needs a radical transformation. I am sure that you will have noticed that from your visits north of the border, Mr. Deputy Speaker. The upgrading is important not just for cosmetic reasons, but for the entire transport network of south-east Scotland. It will allow extra intercity trains to go north and to use the east and west coast main lines. Operators want to run those trains to meet the growing demand for services to Edinburgh.

The upgrade will also help to meet the need for suburban services in and around Edinburgh. That will allow areas such as the borders to benefit from Edinburgh's economic prosperity by enabling workers to get into Edinburgh quickly by train rather than by road. The redevelopment of Waverley is important for local transport plans and the community around the station. Most of the station is in the constituency of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, but it is only 100 yd from the border of my constituency, so I have an interest in it. Delays in the upgrading and redevelopment of Waverley would have local implications as well as more far-flung implications for the transport system.

I am pleased that the Scottish Executive, the SRA and the Department for Transport are working together on plans to improve direct rail links to Edinburgh airport. That will be possible only if Waverley is improved to allow the trains to go somewhere on a regular basis. Everything links together and hangs on the early redevelopment of Waverley. Some people in Scotland, including Members of Opposition parties, have mischievously tried to suggest that the scheme is imperilled or will be delayed. I hope that the Minister reiterates the strong Government backing for the plan to put at rest the fears raised in some quarters.

John Barrett (Edinburgh, West)

rose—

Mr. Lazarowicz

I do not know whether the hon. Gentlemen is one of those who have been asking mischievous questions about the airport link, but I shall give way to him anyway.

John Barrett

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the airport link should be constructed as a matter of urgency to avoid gridlock on the west side of the city?

Mr. Lazarowicz

I agree that the provision of direct rail services to Edinburgh airport is a priority. Another problem on the west side is the opening of the long-awaited Edinburgh Park railway station, which will affect the entire Edinburgh area.

The second project that concerns me is the improvement to the east coast main line. We expect the SRA to make an announcement any day now—perhaps as soon as tomorrow—about the upgrading of high-speed passenger services from Scotland to England. The word on the railway line is that the SRA will push for a major upgrade to the main line rail network between Scotland and England. That would be excellent news for the economy, tourism and the general leisure travel market.

Major improvements in the frequency of trains between Edinburgh and London will be possible with a new high-speed line, but Government cash will be needed if that is to happen. They must be prepared to put resources into the project. I want them to make it clear that in principle they will back a new high-speed line from Scotland to England. After all, if the French, Germans and Italians can have high-speed railways, why not us? Such an improvement would enable other parts of the country to benefit from the London to Dover channel tunnel extension when it is completed in a few years' time.

Mr. Iain Luke (Dundee, East)

Does my hon. Friend accept that I welcome and support the fast-speed link between Scotland and England? Although we are talking about improvements in an Edinburgh context, many of us in north-east Scotland who have longer travel times to the south and abroad would argue that the improvement needs to be extended north of the city so that we all benefit from it.

Mr. Lazarowicz

My hon. Friend knows that I am anxious to reduce not only my travel time to London but his travel time to Edinburgh. I hope that the improvements he wants will made in due course.

Dr. Gavin Strang (Edinburgh, East and Musselburgh)

I congratulate my hon. Friend on initiating the debate. We all agree that the journey time by train from Edinburgh to London is too long. Indeed, most journeys have got longer in recent years. I strongly support what he says about investment in the east coast main line and Waverley station. He will agree that it is vital to get investment in track and signalling because the whole development of the railway network is being held up. In particular, does he support the creation of Parkway station at Musselburgh? That is a major issue because of the new higher education establishment that is coming to the area shortly.

Mr. Lazarowicz

Absolutely. I am glad that my right hon. Friend referred to the fact that journey times between Edinburgh and London are not decreasing but increasing. The SRA's proposals for the future are welcome, but we should not forget that journey times may lengthen in the meantime. Those of us who use that route know that over the past five years or so, apart from the flagship service of four hours one minute, the average journey time has increased. City of Edinburgh council advised me this morning that it has been told that, as part of the SRA's consultation on changes to the passenger service requirement for GNER, it has been proposed that instead of 74 per cent. of Anglo-Scottish services achieving a journey time of 280 minutes or less, only 50 per cent. of them will have to meet that target between Edinburgh and London. That would mean that half the services would be allowed to take more than four hours and 40 minutes to get from Edinburgh to London. That would be unacceptable, because it would inconvenience existing passengers and make it much more difficult to attract passengers from the airways to the railway. If we had high-speed trains from Edinburgh and elsewhere in Scotland to London, we could relieve some of the pressure to build extra airport capacity. Unfortunately, we are going in the wrong direction to do that, and I hope that the Minister will be able to give me some assurances that train times from Edinburgh to London will reduce, not increase, and that we can return to journey times that were the norm before electrification.

Earlier in my speech I mentioned the need for TGV-style train services from Edinburgh to London. Some people may have understood me to mean that I wanted to see TGVs running from Edinburgh to France. That would be welcome—and indeed possible, through the channel tunnel—but I am concentrating today on domestic services from London to Scotland. I hope that the Minister will give a general welcome to the idea of an improved high-speed line from Edinburgh to London and also reassure us that the frequency and speed of the present services will not be adversely affected.

I have concerns about two further issues. First, I hope that the Government will take some action to encourage the SRA to restore the cuts in assistance for freight services that were recently announced. Although I understand that those cuts apply only to the SRA's programme in England and Wales and that support for freight facilities is a devolved matter in Scotland, freight trains do not just stop at the border. Their journeys continue. If the welcome expansion of freight facilities in recent years stops in England, freight from Scotland will be less able to travel to England by rail instead of by road. That is an issue of great local interest. I recently learned that the freight facilities provided at Leith—in the constituency of my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, East and Musselburgh (Dr. Strang) and just across the border from my constituency—allow freight to be taken by rail instead of road from Edinburgh to another facility in Chatham, which is also supported by a freight facilities grant. The rail services are more economic than sending the freight by road and also take heavy lorries off the roads between Edinburgh and Chatham. We in Scotland will also suffer if support for freight facilities is reduced in the long term.

Secondly, I am concerned about the situation with the proposed Edinburgh Park railway station. Although it would be on the borders of the constituencies of my hon. and learned Friend the Advocate-General for Scotland and my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, West (John Barrett), but it would affect my constituency because tens of thousands of people work at Edinburgh Park and have to travel by bus or car through or from my constituency. We would certainly benefit from the proposed new station at Edinburgh Park.

Other hon. Members from Edinburgh will be aware of the long-running saga of attempts to establish that station. In October last year, the SRA announced a welcome grant of £2 million from the rail passenger partnership schemes. That is the final part of the funding package, but to make the new station possible the SRA still needs to confirm to the Scottish rail franchise the changes that have been agreed with ScotRail and the Strathclyde passenger executive. I was not able to give the Minister advance notice of this point, because it was brought to my notice only this morning, but I understand that confirmation from the SRA is still awaited. It is now critical, because Railtrack has advised that construction of the station foundations must take place in the winter months if the station is to open as envisaged. If the Minister cannot respond on that point now, I should be grateful if he would write to me with some indication that the SRA will provide the necessary confirmation of the changes as soon as possible. The rail franchise is a matter for the Executive, but SRA approval is required.

All that I have said today should not detract from the general welcome that I give to the extra resources that the Government have put into the rail system and the work that the SRA has done. Before I entered the House, I worked with my local authority to pilot through the reopening of rail services to Brunstane and Newcraighall from Edinburgh Waverley, thanks to a grant from the SRA. That body has now taken much-needed charge of the rail network, and I pay tribute to its current leadership and to the Department for Transport. I recognise that the decisions are difficult, given the funding available and the demands made on it, but the issues involved are important for my constituents, for Edinburgh and for south-east Scotland. I hope that the Minister can provide today some answers that will allay the concerns that hon. Members have raised in this debate.

11.16 am
The Minister for Transport (Mr. John Spellar)

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith (Mr. Lazarowicz) on securing this debate on the SRA's forthcoming strategic plan and its implications for Edinburgh. As my hon. Friend the Member for Dundee, East (Mr. Luke) suggested, it will also have implications for those further afield. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith for his comments about the progress that has already been made. I understand the need for him to make representations about further progress. The strategic plan is expected very soon and copies will be placed in the Library when it is published.

My hon. Friend raised several important issues in his speech and I wish to respond to them, but first I shall make some general comments about the railways. The railways and their customers—passengers and freight, both north and south of the border—have had a difficult time as we deal with the legacy of privatisation and the structural discontinuity it caused, and with the problems caused by decades of under-investment and delayed decisions. The Government are backing the rail agenda and putting in place a structure to ensure that the industry can deliver, and my hon. Friend kindly referred to the role of the SRA in that task.

Over 10 years, we will provide £33 billion of direct public sector investment, backed by £34 billion of private sector investment. The investment is now in place and, although we face short-term cost and budget pressures, and difficult decisions will have to be made, we can and will deliver a better quality rail service. It will be better managed, focused on delivery and will provide reliable and punctual passenger services. In short, it will be a railway that puts those who use it first.

The SRA is already getting a grip on projects such as the west coast main line and is taking a much-needed look at how to get the most out of the existing capacity on the railway. Network Rail has been set up to operate in the public's interest. It is getting to grips with the planning and management of projects and, as recent announcements have demonstrated, is taking a hands-on role in maintenance. I am sure that that is both deeply necessary and widely welcomed. The rail regulator is working on his review of access charges as an essential part of dealing with costs and as we move towards the spending review in 2004. Investment is beginning to deliver results. Since April 2001, stock worth more than £1 billion has been introduced and more than 2,000 vehicles are on order.

As my hon. Friend said, the SRA drives the strategic agenda for developing the national railway infrastructure of which the Scottish network is an integral part. Although responsibility for infrastructure and safety is reserved to Westminster, Scottish Ministers can and have issued directions and guidance to the SRA, which form the core of the Executive's agenda with the SRA. The Executive are responsible for funding the Scottish passenger franchise and work closely with the SRA towards the replacement of the current franchise in 2004. The Executive and Strathclyde passenger transport executive, which is responsible for services in the Strathclyde area, have set out what they want the franchise to deliver. A new Scot Rail franchise will allow the SRA and the Executive to make improvements to local and regional services in Scotland.

The competition for the replacement franchise was launched in October. In December, the SRA and the Executive announced a package of investment for Scottish services that will deliver new trains for the ScotRail fleet, and recruit and train additional drivers. The new trains will start to come on stream later this year. That will mean big improvements for passengers using the Scottish network.

The Executive also have power to invest by using funding from the public transport fund. The Executive are investing in several important projects in Scotland, including Waverley station, about which I shall say more in a minute. They are also playing a leading role in the feasibility study for possible new rail links to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, which my hon. Friend mentioned. Yesterday, we debated the Railways and Transport Safety Bill, which will set up a new, independent railway accident investigation branch. Safety is a key priority and the Bill demonstrates our commitment to it.

The redevelopment of Waverley station is an important project for Edinburgh and the Scottish network as a whole. The station's geographical situation is difficult and means that there are physical constraints on any redevelopment. In railway terms, it is a bottleneck that needs to be unblocked. Current service aspirations exceed the existing capacity of the station, which will also soon need some structural and other renewal. Any redevelopment project for the site will need careful planning and consideration. Constraints on the delivery of new capacity include the proximity of other buildings on two sides of the site and the underground tunnels on the other two sides. An additional complication is that the station is a grade A listed building.

The SRA and the Scottish Executive, together with Network Rail, are considering several options for increasing track capacity to allow an increase in train frequencies for local and regional services. Outline development work was carried out for the Executive in 2002. Evaluation of the business cases and engineering requirements for several options for redevelopment will be completed early this year. Affordability constraints apply to Scotland as much as to the rest of the network, but I understand that the SRA remains committed to working with the Executive to make progress on that important project. Network Rail is also continuing with a project to upgrade the signalling network in and around Waverley. That is the largest rail network project being undertaken in Scotland and it will be completed in 2004. It includes the renewal of equipment in the main signal centre at Waverley, which controls the east coast main line.

My hon. Friend reminded the House that the east coast main line is a strategically important route. On an average day, it bears 1,900 passenger trains carrying 200,000 people and 250 freight services with a loading of 20,000 tonnes. Last year, the SRA negotiated a two-year extension to Great North Eastern Railway's current east coast franchise. That secured more than £100 million of private sector investment in the route, including more frequent services to Leeds, from which passengers to Edinburgh will benefit through reduced overcrowding on other services; reliability improvements to all the line's diesel high-speed trains and £20 million to improve the reliability of its electric trains; the replacement of five relatively old recovery locomotives by six new or rebuilt locomotives, to ensure more rapid recovery of failed trains and the swifter restoration of subsequent services; and an improved incentive regime requiring 81 per cent. of trains to be on time from April 2003, rising to 83 per cent. from April 2004. From 2003, the company will introduce passenger refunds of 50 per cent. for trains that are late by more than 45 minutes and full refunds for services that are late by 90 minutes or more. We hope that that will not cost the company too much because the improvements in service will have been achieved.

The primary objective of the proposed east coast main line upgrade is to provide for an increase in capacity. I summarised a moment ago how busy the line is. It is running out of capacity and finding it increasingly difficult to accommodate extra trains for both passenger and freight operators within the existing infrastructure. The SRA's work on capacity utilisation will help, but the longer term solution is likely to require infrastructure improvements. The SRA is continuing the upgrade work in close co-operation with Network Rail.

My hon. Friend mentioned the high-speed rail link. The SRA commissioned a study to compare a range of possible scenarios, including the need for, and viability of, a new high-speed line between London and the north of England and Scotland. The study will include an assessment of the proposal that such a north-south line should be connected to the channel tunnel rail link. Last week, I visited the channel tunnel rail link, which hopes to start running services in September. The project will be brought in on time and to budget, which is very encouraging.

Mr. Luke

Does my hon. Friend agree that the extension of a high-speed line from the channel tunnel should include areas north of Edinburgh, so that people who live there can experience the benefits?

Mr. Spellar

Any improvements to the line between Edinburgh and London will benefit those who live further afield. I recognise the desire for further improvements, but we have to address the needs of all parts of the country and choose our priorities. We must also ensure that we obtain value for money from our present work. The right return from that work will free up resources to undertake further work. From my hon. Friend's intervention today and the debate that he has obtained on the issue, I am well aware of his strong campaign on behalf of Dundee and the need for improvements in its rail services.

The study will be used to inform strategic decisions to deal with potential long-term—after 2010—capacity constraints on services between London and Scotland. I ask my hon. Friends to be patient and to await the imminent publication of the SRA's strategic plan. The key findings of the study will be reported there and the SRA will give us more detail about the consultants' work. At this stage, I can give no more assurance other than to say that we will examine the study's findings carefully before deciding on the next step. However, I understand the arguments that have been made on the advantages of a north-south high-speed link.

My hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith also mentioned the issue of freight. Next year, a further £40 million grant will go to rail freight. Increasing the amount of goods transported by rail remains one of our priorities, because of the environmental advantages and congestion relief. The SRA has to achieve a balance between different areas. but the resumption of discretionary grants will be considered a priority in the event that surplus resources become available to the Department for Transport.

I trust that I have responded to my hon. Friend's points. I hope that he is reassured that rail users in Edinburgh and elsewhere in Scotland can look forward to better services.

11.30 am

Sitting suspended—until Two o'clock.