§ 43. Mr. Ray Powellasked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current mileage of double track railway line converted to single line in Wales; whether this is related to a lack of investment in track maintenance; and if he will give details and make a statement.
§ Mr. FowlerI understand from the British Railways Board that fewer than 10 miles of double track railway in Wales have been converted to single line in the past five years. Decisions to rationalise track are normally made to bring track capacity into line with projected traffic levels; the level of past maintenance expenditure would not normally be a relevant factor.