§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the policy of each train operating company towards(a) automatic train protection and (b) train protection and warning system. [124204]
§ Mr. HillThe Railway Safety Regulations 1999 require all passenger lines, and all trains operating on them, to be fitted with a form of train protection equivalent to the train protection and warning system by the end of 2003. Each Train Operating Company has supplied to the Health and Safety Executive an action program to comply with these regulations. Where reasonably practicable, the Regulations require more advanced automatic train protection to be fitted, similar to that in service on Great Western, Chiltern, and Heathrow Express Trains.
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§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with(a) Railtrack and (b) all train operating companies on reducing the number of signals passed at danger. [124203]
§ Mr. HillDuring their normal enforcement duties, the Health and Safety Executive's Railway Inspectorate have regular and frequent meetings and discussions with both Railtrack and Train Operating Companies on reducing the number of signals passed at danger (SPADs). All SPADs, are required to be reported to the Railway Inspectorate, who investigate the more serious ones. A summary of these activities is given in the Health and Safety Executive's monthly report on SPADs, a copy of which is placed in the House Library.
The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the issue of SPADs at his recent rail summit with the industry.