§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all the locations which British Rail has identified at which enhanced protection arrangements, to116W which he referred in his answer of 22 October, Official Report, column 477, are being introduced; and if he will set out for each location what specific measures are being adopted.
§ Mr. FreemanBritish Rail have identified the following 10 locations as requiring changes to the protection: Ashford (junction with Appledore line), Bellgrove, Doncaster (junction with Sheffield line), Dorchester, West, Hanwell, Hydem, Newton, Paddock Wood, Shipley and Wimbledon (junction with Merton line).
At present, BR has amended the signalman's instructions in eight cases, so that if it is not possible to permit a train to leave a station platform, trains will be held at the previous signal (ie will not be allowed to enter the station). In the other two cases, that instruction is not applicable, as the train starts from a dead-end platform. The instructions given to platform staff on the starting of trains from those platforms have been reinforced by special instructions and monitoring.
Other options under consideration include modifying the signal inter-locking to achieve that precaution automatically, and modifying the track layouts to reduce the effect on services of these precautions. BR is evaluating the options in each case, and will discuss proposals with the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate before taking further action.