§ Mrs. CurrieTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the proposed Ivanhoe passenger railway service from Leicester through South Derbyshire to Burton-on-Trent and Derby.
§ Mr. Freeman[holding answer 20 December 1991]: I am delighted that we are able to give the go-ahead to the Ivanhoe line project, which will mean the restoration of local train services over the lines between Loughborough, Leicester, Burton-on-Trent and Derby, and will involve the opening or reopening of 16 stations.
It will provide an economic boost to the Leicestershire and Derbyshire communities through which the line passes and at the same time it should help ease peak traffic congestion in Leicester.
The resources we are making available to this £16 million project (including a £5 million grant) will allow work to commence in 1992–93, and it is expected to take about three years to complete.
This project is another demonstration of the Government's faith in rail as a means of local transport and is part of a continuing trend in railway development in the United Kingdom.