HC Deb 08 August 1966 vol 733 cc274-5W
Mr. Peter Walker

asked the Minister of Transport if she will give the ratio of track capacity to track area for the railways and roads, respectively.

Mrs. Castle

A meaningful figure cannot be given for the general case, but specific comparisons can be made. For example, a single suburban railway track with a clearance width of 15 feet can carry over 20,000 seated passengers an hour in one direction, whereas two urban motorway lanes with an overall width of 24 feet can carry some 5,000 passengers per hour in the same direction in normal peak use.

Mr. Grant

asked the Minister of Transport on what date her Department started research into trunk route transport costs in order to establish relative costs of carrying goods by road and rail on certain trunk routes, and the effect on costs of altering distribution between road and rail.

Mrs. Castle

About twelve months ago.

LAND USE/TRANSPORTATION STUDIES IN ENGLAND AND WALES
Date started Estimated date of completion Estimated cost £
London (Phases I and II) 1961 Completed July, 1966 … 640,000
London (Phase III) April, 1966 Mid 1968 … 398,000
West Midlands September, 1964 End of 1966 … 316,500
South East Lancashire and North East Cheshire (SELNEC) November, 1965 June, 1968 … 334,750
Merseyside June, 1966 End of 1968 … 410,000
Tees-side July, 1965 July, 1968 … 380,000
Cardiff March, 1965 March, 1968 … 214,000
West Riding Study not yet under way. Project Report expected to be completed by November. 1966. Mid 1969 … 250,000
Plymouth September, 1964 Early 1967 … 20,000
Hull November, 1964 1968 … 100,000
Torbay Area May, 1964 Early 1967 … 30,000
Brighton Area May, 1965 Spring 1967 … 60,000
Stoke Area April, 1966 Mid 1968 … 120,000
Exeter August, 1965 Early 1967 … 15,000
South Staffordshire May, 1966 Mid 1968 … 60,000
Oxford April, 1966 1968 50,000
Worcester May, 1965 1966–Early 1967 … 14,000
Coventry July, 1966 4½ years … 30,000 (Phase 1)
Weston-super-Mare July, 1966 1968 … 12,500

A number of smaller traffic surveys are also being carried out for specific purposes e.g. to assist in the design of particular road schemes.