§ 45. Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received proposals from British Railways for the electrification of the East Coast main line.
§ Mr. FowlerThe East Coast main line is included in all the electrification options evaluated in the final report of the joint review of main line electrification, which I am currently considering.
§ 51. Mr. Flanneryasked the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria are used for deciding the lines suitable for electrification and the timetable of the programme.
§ Mr. FowlerIn drawing up the options to be evaluated in the joint electrification review, British Rail used its commercial and operating judgment to determine which lines should be electrified and their relative priorities. Generally, the heavier the traffic on a line, the stronger the financial case for electrification will be. The construction programmes established for each of the options took account of a number of operational and engineering constraints on the rate of progress, notably the output of construction teams and the need to minimise the premature replacement of diesel traction.
§ 52. Mr. Cowansasked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to authorise a rolling programme for British Railways main line electrification.
§ Mr. FowlerI refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Bagier) earlier today.