§ 43. Mr. Ian TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made in developing the transport infrastructure in London docklands.
§ Mr. FreemanThe docklands light railway is to be completly resignalled so as to improve reliability and to cope with the greatly increased service levels planned for the 1990s. Additional trains now entering service will double capacity to Tower Gateway from this summer, and a further fleet will be available in time for the inception of single-track running to Bank early next year. The second tunnel to Bank is on course for completion late in 1991, and following the normal commissioning period a full service should commence early in 1992. Construction of the Beckton extension is underway for completion by the end of 1992, and LRT are continuing their evaluation of the case for a possible further extension to Lewisham.
A Bill is now before this House for the first major Underground line in a quarter of a century, for the Jubilee line to run from Green Park via Westminster, Waterloo and London Bridge to the Surrey Docks, Canary Wharf, the Greenwich Peninsula, Canning Town, West Ham and Stratford. Provided Royal Assent is received by mid-1991, I would expect the new line to be in service by the beginning of 1996.
Network South East is now reconsidering its proposed renovation of Stratford Station so as to take full account of the Jubilee line extension. The main line platforms are to be refurbished so as to allow calls by most outer surburban and InterCity services, and there will also be new through services from May 1991 to Stansted airport and Cambridge. Network South East is discussing with the London Docklands Development Corporation implementation early next year of a scheme for waterproofing and renovation of the Connaught tunnel so as to improve reliability of the North London line.
LRT is considering its evaluation of the case for possible extensions of the East London line northwards to Dalston and southwards to Peckham Rye and East Dulwich. Subject to confirmation of a satisfactory investment case and appropriate funding arrangements, including contributions from developers who will benefit from the scheme, LRT hope to be able to deposit a Bill in November.
LRT is now out to tender for a new express bus service from Waterloo and London Bridge to the Isle of Dogs and Leamouth for which LDDC and a consortium of Docklands employers are contributing towards the first year's operational costs. London Buses and Docklands Minibus are continuing to tailor their services to improve reliability and links from Docklands, especially to the City.
Riverbus continues to operate a frequent, fast service on the Thames between central London and the Docklands and Greenwich with separate services to Chelsea harbour and London City airport. Season tickets and a tourist rover ticket have recently been introduced.
All of the LDDC's Docklands Highways in the Royal Docks are now in at least partial use, bringing high quality road access from the M25 to within sight of London City airport. The first direct road link between the Isle of Dogs and the Royal Docks—the Lower Lea crossing is under 66W construction for completion in the spring of 1992, bringing London City airport within a 15 minute drive from Canary Wharf as the Canary Wharf eastern access road will be completed this autumn. LDDC hope to let the main contracts by late summer for the East India dock link and the Poplar link, and construction of the Limehouse link is on course for completion to Westferry Circus in the summer of 1993.
Consultations continue on the inclusion of the A 13 west of Butcher Row in the pilot red route. The first of my Department's improvements to the key junctions on the A13 trunk road should start on site at Leamouth road next month, and diversion of services is already in hand for an interim scheme due to start this autumn at the junction with West India dock road concurrent with its widening by LDDC as part of the Poplar link scheme. We hope to go to public consultation before the end of this year on improvement of the A13/A112 junction and to publish draft orders early next year for a new dual two-way flyover at the A13/A117 junction. Schemes to widen the A13 Ironbridge and make final improvements to the A13 junctions with the Blackwall tunnel/Cotton street, West India dock road and Butcher Row are programmed for completion by the mid-1990s. We have published draft orders for widening of the A 13 from Dagenham to the M25. The City of London's Bill for construction of the A12 Hackney to M11 link through Epping Forest is now in another place, and subject also to confirmation of a compulsory purchase order I would expect to see construction begin from the Redbridge end in the Spring of 1991. A new traffic control system for east London should be completed late next year.
A two-year scheme has now started for renovation of the old Blackwall tunnel. We are conducting a study of the riverbed regime so as to help decide whether the proposed third tunnel at Blackwall should be a bore or a submerged tube. Consultations will be carried out later this year on terms of reference for the proposed study into the need for possible additional cross river capacity between Blackwall and Tower Bridge.
Public inquiries begin on 3 July into the proposed changes to the east London river crossing and the planning applications to allow use of London City airport by more types of aircraft.
My Department and LDDC are now collaborating on the publication in September of a joint update to their respective publications on Docklands transport.