HC Deb 22 August 1945 vol 413 cc630-1W
Mr. Palmer

asked the Minister of War Transport the number of through trains between Earls Court and Wimbledon stations, and between Earls Court and Ealing Broadway stations, respectively, on the District section of London Transport, and vice versa, between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. on each weekday from Monday to Friday; the number on Saturday and the number on Sunday in each week; the longest and shortest interval between each train on both sections on those days; and the ordinary fares, both single and return, from Earls Court to Wimbledon and Earls Court to Ealing Broadway.

Mr. Barnes

The information asked for is furnished in the following statistical table:

gested conditions in this form of travel on the night trains to and from Scotland;

(2) when he expects to be able to remove 'his wartime control of passenger sleeping accommodation on the railways between London and Scotland, in order that the railways may allot sleeper accom- modation not only to Government employees but to other members of the general public obliged to travel at short notice for business or similar reasons.

Mr. Barnes

The heavy passenger traffic between London and Scotland has necessitated the running of trains of maximum load and has limited the numbers of sleeping cars that can be attached to the trains. At the same time it has been necessary to reserve a large proportion of the available berths for allocation to hon. Members travelling between the House and their constituencies and to members of the Services and others travelling on urgent Government business. I am actively reviewing the possibility of reducing the number of reservations, and I hope in the near future to release considerably more berths for engagement by the public in the ordinary way.

In addition I hope it may be possible to arrange for some additional sleeping accommodation to be provided as from the beginning of October when the winter time-table comes into operation.