HC Deb 18 May 1990 vol 172 c559W
Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has agreed British Rail's recent proposals for further investment connected with channel tunnel passenger rail services.

Mr. Parkinson

I am pleased to announce my approval of British Rail's proposals for investment of £174.2 million to build an international passenger terminal at Waterloo and a train depot at Willesden for maintaining international trains. These are major items in British Rail's plans to spend over £1 billion so that a full international passenger and freight service can begin on the day that the channel tunnel opens.

Sir John Stanley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it remains his policy that British Rail's commuter services in peak hours should not be cut back to accommodate channel tunnel international passenger and freight trains when the channel tunnel opens in 1993.

Mr. Freeman

I understand that British Rail stands by its assurance given to Parliament during the passage of the Channel Tunnel Act that existing services would not be curtailed by the introduction of channel tunnel rail services.