§ Mr. Manuelasked the Minister of Transport whether he will announce, in respect of each unremunerative railway passenger service which he has undertaken to grant aid under Section 39(1) of the Transport Act, 1968, the length of the undertaking and the amount of grant payable in 1969.
§ Mr. MarshThe information requested is given below.
The list of 222 services differs in some respect from that given in Answer to the hon. Member for Sudbury and Wood- 296W bridge (Mr. Stainton) on 15th November, 1968. The grant-aided London commuter services of the Eastern, London Midland and Western Regions of British Railways are listed individually, but the Southern Region's commuter network has been treated as an entity. There have also been one or two minor changes in the descriptions of the services.
The proportion of short-term undertakings is relatively high—133 for one year, 78 for two years and only 11 for the maximum statutory period of three years. This is partly because of the lack of detailed estimates after 1969 for some of the services and also because of the imminent setting up of Passenger Transport Authorities in Tyneside, South East Lancashire/North East Cheshire, Mersey-side and the West Midlands, and the proposed changes in the organisation of public transport in London. In due course I expect the majority of undertakings that are renewed will be for three years.
The amount of grant in each case is still subject to adjustment to take account of grants to be paid under Section 40 of the Transport Act, 1968, pending the elimination of surplus track and signalling equipment, and in respect of changes in interest payments following the financial reconstruction under Section 42 of the same Act. The effect of these adjustments will vary widely between different services, according to the circumstances, but I expect that overall there will be a substantial reduction on the total of £59.816 million.
I have given a three year undertaking to pay grant in 1969, 1970 and 1971 for the following 11 services:—
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Grant to be paid in 1969 £'000 Eastern Region of British Railways Hull—Doncaster 169 Sheffield—Doncaster 137 Sheffield—Retford 108 Retford—Lincoln 77 Sheffield—Chesterfield (local service) 10 Ipswich—Colchester (local service) 18 Manningtree—Harwich 80 Scottish Region of British Railways Glasgow—Perth—Inverness 294 Glasgow—Dundee 249 Aberdeen—Inverness 290 Western Region of British Railways Exeter—Exmouth 85 I have given a two year undertaking to pay grant in 1969 and 1970 in respect of the following 78 services:—
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Grant to be paid in 1969 £'000 Eastern Region of British Railways Norwich—Yarmouth (via Acle and Reedham) 56 Norwich—Lowestoft 148 Cambridge—Norwich 200 Ipswich—Cambridge 188 Witham—Braintree 52 Newcastle—Sunderland—Middlesbrough 343 Newcastle—South Shields 203 North Tynside services (incl. Riverside Loop) 698 Newcastle—Hexham—Carlisle 267 Leeds—Bradford 169 Leeds—Goole 98 Lincoln—Nottingham 188 Grantham—Nottingham 94 Cambridge—Peterborough 143 Cambridge—King's Lynn 200 Leeds—York 136 Bradford—Manchester 319 Leeds—Doncaster 56 Sheffield—York (local service) 83 Barking—Kentish Town 255 London Midland Region of British Railways Watford Junction—St. Albans 40 Marylebone—Harrow—Aylesbury 272 Rugby—Coventry—Birmingham 251 Birmingham—Redditch 61 Birmingham—Walsall (via Soho) 94 Birmingham—Walsall (via Aston) 179 Birmingham—Wolverhampton (H.L.) 137 Birmingham—Stafford 78 Birmingham—Leicester—Nottingham 170 Shrewsbury—Aberystwyth 359 Llandudno Junction—Blaenau Ffestiniog 72 Rock Ferry—Helsby—Chester 242 Runcorn—Helsby—Chester 47 Liverpool—Crewe 207 Liverpool Central (L.L.)—Rock Ferry 139 Liverpool Central (L.L.)—West Kirby 165 Liverpool Central (L.L.)— New Brighton 122 Liverpool (Exchange)—Southport 381 Liverpool (Lime St.)—South port 70 Liverpool (Lime St.)—Warrington—Manchester 490 Manchester—Patricroft—Liverpool 113 Manchester—Northwich—Chester 284 Manchester—Altrincham 338 Manchester—Stoke—Stafford 573 Manchester—Stockport— Crewe 419
Grant to be paid in 1969 £'000 Manchester—Styal—Crewe 299 Stockport—Stalybridge 100 Manchester—Buxton 384 Manchester—Bury 373 Barrow—Whitehaven 198 Whitehaven—Carlisle 259 Scottish Region of British Railways Glasgow North Suburban Electric service 1,445 Glasgow South Suburban Electric service 1,051 Springburn—Cumbernauld 143 Glasgow—Lanark 289 Glasgow—Hamilton 348 Glasgow—Barrhead 81 Glasgow—Paisley—Kilmalcolm 271 Glasgow—East Kilbride 172 Glasgow—Edinburgh (via Shotts) 269 Dairy/Kilwinning—Largs 282 Ayr—Stranraer 216 Glasgow—Gourock—Wemyss Bay 798 Carlisle—Dumfries—Glasgow (Local service) 26 Southern Region of British Railways Brighton—Ore and branches 574 Brighton—Portsmouth 949 Western Region of British Railways Paddington—Slough 221 Slough—Windsor 77 Maidenhead—Bourne End— Marlow 89 Twyford—Henley 103 Paddington—Reading—Oxford 400 Maiden Newton—Bridport 33 Plymouth—Gunnislake 103 Plymouth—Saltash—Liskeard 84 Cardiff—Rhymney 260 Cardiff—Penarth 63 Cardiff—Coryton 48 Barry Island—Cardiff—Treherbert/Merthyr 687 I have undertaken to pay grant in 1969 in respect of the following 133 services:—
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Eastern Region of British Railways King's Cross—Peterborough—Grantham/Stamford (local service) 196 Ipswich—Lowestoft 246 Wickford—Southminster 106 Newcastle — Alnmouth — Berwick—Edinburgh (Local service) 214 Haltwhistle—Alston 52 Darlington / Northallerton—Hartlepool 64 Darlington—Saltburn 348 Darlington—Bishop Auckland 184 Middlesbrough—Whitby 208 York—Scarborough 383 York—Selby—Doncaster/ Hull (Local service) 134 York—Harrogate 197 300W
Grant to be paid in 1969 £'000 Leeds—Harrogate 223 Huddersfield—Clayton West/Penistone 176 Huddersfield—Wakefield 54 Doncaster—Cleethorpes 181 Cleethorpes/Grimsby—Newark 98 Retford—Cleethorpes 67 Lincoln/Grantham—Boston 212 Stratford—North Woolwich 116 Liverpool St.—Chingford 253 Liverpool St.—Enfield Town 318 Liverpool St.—Broxbourne 39 Stratford—Cheshunt 172 Liverpool St.—Bishop's Stortford/ Hertford East 297 King's Cross—Hertford/Hitchin 824 King's Cross—Welwyn Garden City 493 King's Cross—Royston 206 Upminsrer—Grays/Tilbury 157 King's Cross—Cambridge (Semi-Fast) 107 East Anglia—Midlands/North of England 372 Colchester—Clacton/Walton (Local service) 274 York—Newcastle (Local service) 216 Bradford—Blackpool 65 Leeds—Huddersfield 89 Leeds—Skipton—Morecambe 251 Leeds—Barnsley—Sheffield 402 Leeds—Rotherham—Sheffield (Local service) 107 Leeds—Huddersfield—Manchester—Liverpool 211 Leeds—Hull 309 Ipswich—Felixstowe 82 Liverpool St.—Gidea Park—Shenfield 364 Liverpool St.—Chelmsford—Witham 107 York—Shrewsbury 22 Newcastle — York — Leeds — Huddersfield—Manchester—Liverpool 112 London Midland Region of British Railways St. Pancras/Moorgate—Bed-ford 466 Broad Street—Richmond 439 Euston/Broad Street—Watford 523 Watford—Croxley Green 51 Euston — Tring—Bletchley 251 Euston—Northampton—Birmingham 264 Birmingham—Leamington 260 Leamington—Stratford 75 Birmingham—Stratford 46 Birmingham—Lichfield 202 Birmingham—Kidderminster—Worcester 365 Birmingham — Stourbridge— Kidderminster Stourbridge Town—Stourbridge Junction Birmingham—Langley Green Birmingham (S.H.)—Wolver-hampton L.L. 122 Birmingham—Derby 62 301W
Grant to be paid in 1969 £'000 Leicester—Peterborough 123 Rugby—Nuneaton—Stafford 141 Derby—Matlock 110 Crewe—Derby 346 Derby—Nottingham 150 Crewe—Chester 41 Crewe—Shrewsbury 82 Wolverhampton—Chester 481 Chester—Llandudno—Holy head 561 Manchester—Warrington—Chester 192 Liverpool Exchange—Ormskirk 349 Liverpool (Lime Street)—St. Helens—Wigan 290 Liverpool—Wigan—Bolton 369 Derby—Manchester 244 New Mills—Sheffield 88 Manchester—Chin1ey—Sheffield 38 Manchester—Romiley—New Mills 344 Manchester—Glossop—Hadfield 288 Manchester—Oldham—Rochdale 438 Manchester—Colne 549 Bury—Rawtenstall 130 Manchester—Wigan—Southport 731 Manchester—Preston—Blackpool (North and South) 628 Preston—Blackpool (North and South) 140 Blackpool—Blackburn—Colne 490 Preston—Barrow 264 Preston—Windermere 186 Lancaster—Morecambe 72 Keswick—Carlisle 108 Leeds—Carlisle—Glasgow 162 Machynlleth—Pwllheli 337 Liverpool Central (High Level) —Gateacre 60 (Liverpool Corporation are also contributing £60,000 towards the cost of this service in 1969.) Marylebone—High Wycombe—Aylesbury 552 (British Railways will shortly publish a proposal to divert the service from Marylebone to Paddington and to close the section of route between Neasden and Northolt Junction.) Scottish Region of British Railways Glasgow—Ayr 400 Glasgow—Oban 299 Glasgow—Fort William 219 Fort William—Mallaig 208 Edinburgh—Dundee—Arbroath (via Dunfermline) 91 Edinburgh—Dundee—Arbroath (via Kirkcaldy) 152 Montrose—Dundee—Perth (Local service) 178 Inverness—Kyle of Lochalsh 276 Inverness—Wick/Thurso 594
Grant to be paid in 1969 £'000 Glasgow—Stirling—Dunblane (Local service) 225 Glasgow—Fife 22 Edinburgh—Kirkcaldy 176 Edinburgh—Dunfermline— Cardenden 81 Edinburgh—Falkirk—Stirling Dunblane (Local service) 118 Edinburgh—Glasgow via Falkirk (Grahamston) 50 Euston—Stranraer (boat trains) 200 Edinburgh—Kinross—Perth 241 (A proposal to close the section of route between Cowdenbeath and Hilton Junction and to divert the service via Stirling, has been published) Southern Region of British Railways London Area Commuter Network 8,836 Reading—Basingstoke—Salisbury 112 Isle of Wight 126 Portsmouth—Southampton— Salisbury / Fareham—Eastleigh 723 Bournemouth—Weymouth 459 Western Region of British Railways Paddington—Reading (local services) 130 Ealing—Greenford 62 Paddington—Reading—Bedwyn 191 Oxford—Leamington 63 Oxford—Worcester 76 Salisbury—Exeter 573 Bristol—Weymouth 323 Bristol—Salisbury 104 Bristol—Worcester 25 Bristol—Weston-super-Mare—Taunton (local services) 171 Worcester—Birmingham (via Bromsgrove) 17 Hereford—Worcester 377 Hereford—Shrewsbury 86 Newport—Bristol (local services) 105 Exeter—Barnstaple 174 Swansea—Carmarthen—Milford Haven 345 Liskeard—Looe 36 Bodmin Road—Newquay 107 Truro—Falmouth 99 St. Erth—St. Ives 35 In addition, I shall be paying transitional grant under Section 39(4) of the Transport Act, 1968, in respect of services which were the subject of unresolved closure propoals at 31st December, 1968. The amount of individual grants under this section will of course depend on whether or not I consent to the withdrawal of the service, and if so when it is actually withdrawn. I expect that the total amount of grant paid in 1969 in respect of such services and all the services 302W listed above, after making allowance for the adjustments mentioned earlier, will be in the region of £62m.—[Vol. 773, c. 172–80.]