§ Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will give a general direction to the British Transport Commission to consider the possibility of installing automatic cut-out of electric current on an accident happening on the third-rail electric railway system.
§ Mr. WatkinsonNo. As was stated in the report of the Chief Inspecting Officer of Railways on the accident at Barnes on 2nd December, 1955, the complete modernisation of the power supply arrangements in the London area of the Southern Region's third rail electric 165W system is actively in hand, and should be completed by the end of 1957. The new equipment includes circuit breakers, i.e. automatic cut-out devices, of the most modern type and I am satisfied that all practicable steps are being taken to meet the conditions which my hon. Friend has in mind.