§ VISCOUNT MONSELLasked Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the ever-increasing cost of transport on British Railways, the time has come when it would be advantageous to turn some of the permanent ways into motor highways.
§ LORD MANCROFTIn the Government's view the railway will, for as long as can be foreseen, continue to be an essential part of the national transport system. It is the policy of the railways, which has the support of the Government, to concentrate on the traffics for which they are best suited and to offer by such measures as the modernisation and rationalisation of their system, the adoption of a more flexible charging policy and increased productivity, an efficient and fully competitive railway service. Where the process of rationalisation calls for the closure of a railway line, the Government are always ready to consider, in conjunction with the Commission and the appropriate highway authority, the possibility of converting the track into a highway, but the cost of such conversion would generally be considerable, because of different requirements of width and headroom, and might not be economic in relation to the probable traffic value of the road.