§ 50. Mr. Francis Noel-Bakerasked the Minister of Transport what general directions she has given to the Railways Board concerning research into high speed trains using conventional tracks; and what reports she has received regarding the potentialities for such trains in the United Kingdom and the timing of their introduction.
§ Mrs. CastleA general direction would not be appropriate and is not necessary. The Railways Board research programme already includes work on very high-speed trains using conventional track. Good progress is being made, but it is too early to predict when these developments might be introduced into service.