§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will study the advantages and problems associated with the re-opening for passenger traffic of railway lines like the Walsall to Rugeley line, which are already used for commercial traffic.
§ Mr. FowlerI prefer to leave this to the Railways Board and local authorities, which are best placed to consider the merits of re-opening particular railway lines to passenger traffic.
§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to amend the Transport Act 1962 to make it easier for railway lines like the Walsall to Rugeley, which already carry freight, to carry passenger traffic as well.
§ Mr. FowlerI have welcomed the Transport 1962 (Amendment) Act introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Devon, North (Mr. Speller) which will enable British Rail to introduce passenger services on a special experimental basis on lines from which they had been withdrawn.