§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the performance against target was for(a) reliability, (b) punctuality and (c) safety of rail services between Shrewsbury and (i) Wolverhampton, (ii) Hereford, (iii) Chester and (iv) Aberystwyth in the last year for which figures are available. [138348]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Strategic Rail Authority publishes performance information in its six monthly "On Track" publication, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House. Information is provided for the services of each operator in aggregate, not by specific routes. There is no single performance measurement or target for 'safety'.
§ Mrs. EllmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the line from Weaver Junction to Liverpool Lime Street will be modernised to enable trains to run at 125 mph. [138922]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Strategic Rail Authority's "West Coast Main Line Strategy", published in June 2003, envisages that the modernisation of the line from London to Crewe will be completed in autumn 2004 and the Crewe-Weaver Junction-Liverpool section in summer 2005, including sections with a maximum line speed of 125mph. With the introduction of 125-mph trains, journey times between London and Liverpool will be substantially reduced from autumn 2004.