HC Deb 18 July 2001 vol 372 cc200-1W
Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many speed restrictions were in place on the rail network at the end of each month since October 2000 in (a) Great Britain and (b) the area covered by each franchise; and how many are anticipated to be in place at the end of (i) July, (ii) August, (iii) September and (iv) October. [4652]

Mr. Spellar

[holding answer 17 July 2001]: Railtrack reports that the number of temporary speed restrictions in place across its network in Great Britain at the end of each month was:

Number
October 2000 504
November 626
December 1,100
January 2001 1,045
February 964
March 1,188
April 908
May 779
June 773

These national figures cannot meaningfully be broken down into the areas covered by each franchise because the services of many franchisees overlap. Individual speed restrictions will often affect the trains of several operators all using that line. Railtrack does however ensure close dialogue on outstanding speed restrictions with each operator in order to maintain safety and service reliability.

Railtrack is working with train operators and contractors to return to a sustainable level of speed restrictions across the network as soon as possible, but the precise number of restrictions which will be in place over the coming months cannot be accurately predicted.

At any one time there is always a large number, typically 300 to 500, of speed restrictions in force on the network; these are needed to maintain safe operation in adverse operating conditions and to enable normal maintenance activities to be completed. Allowances are made for such speed restrictions within timetables.