§ Mr. Harveyasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether his attention has to the frequent serious delays in long-distance train service and, in particular, the 5.30 p.m. train from Leeds to King's Cross; and whether, if such delays cannot be avoided, the time-table will be altered to correspond with the actual running of the train.
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§ Mr. Noel-BakerThe schedules for passenger trains are based on timings which the railway authorities can reasonably hope to maintain, and which, in fact, are normally maintained. Delays inevitably result from a variety of causes, including, in particular, the provision of special Service trains, of which large numbers are required each day. If a train were regularly the same amount behind schedule at each point on its journey, it would obviously be desirable to alter its timing; but in practice this rarely happens. I am making inquiries about the 5.30 p.m. train from Leeds to King's Cross and will write to my hon. Friend when these inquiries are complete.