§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what progress has been made with the train operating companies in respect of installing train protection systems; [104597]
(2) what timetable has been agreed for the installation of train protection systems in all rolling stock, including the final date for completion. [104665]
§ Mr. HillThe Railway Safety Regulations, laid before Parliament on 10 August 1999, requires train protection systems to be introduced and operational across the railway network by the end of 2003 at the latest.
At the Rail Safety Summit on 30 November the train operators announced that they have agreed a timetable to fit 33 per cent. of trains by the end of 2001, 75 per cent. of trains by the end of 2002 and all trains by the end of 2003. Also at the Summit, Railtrack agreed to aim to install train protection at 12,000 sites by the end of 2002.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what decision he has reached about the preferred system of train protection. [104628]
§ Mr. HillFollowing the Ladbroke Grove train accident the Government asked Sir David Davies, the President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, to report on the effectiveness, practicability and cost of train protection systems, and on how best to reduce the present incidence of signals passed at danger (SPADs). Ministers expect to receive his report shortly.
This information will be available to Lord Cullen (who is conducting the Public Inquiry into the Ladbroke Grove accident) and Professor Uff (conducting the Southall Inquiry), and they will jointly consider train protection systems. The Health and Safety Commission will advise the Government on any recommendations they make.