HC Deb 16 July 1992 vol 211 cc862-3W
Mr. Austin-Walker

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the contribution to decongestion in central London that the Jubilee line extension will make.

Mr. Norris

In net present value terms, at mid-1991 discounted to 1991, the road and rail decongestion benefits of the Jubilee line extension would be around £230 million and £275 million respectively.

Mr. Austin-Walker

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the estimated cost of extending further the proposed Jubilee line extension to Woolwich and Thamesmead.

Mr. Norris

London Transport has recently estimated that it would cost around £300 million or £330 million to extend the Jubilee line to Woolwich Arsenal taking a route north of the Royal Victoria dock, or £370 million taking a route south of the Royal Victoria dock. Extending beyond Woolwich Arsenal to Thamesmead would cost an estimated £160 million more. All estimates are in mid-1990 prices.

Mr. Austin-Walker

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish details of the cost benefit analysis carried out on the proposals to extend the Jubilee line(a) to docklands and Greenwich peninsula and (b) further to Woolwich and Thamesmead.

Mr. Norris

(a) The results, in present value terms, of a recent cost benefit analysis of the proposed Jubilee line extension from Green Park to Stratford, taking into account the quantifiable benefits conventionally used in the appraisal of rail transport schemes, are given in the table.

Mid 1991 prices discounted to 1991
£ million
Capital costs -1,505
Operating cost -180
Additional revenue 340
Funding gap -1,345
Public transport user benefits 1,025
Road user benefits 230
Net benefit -90
Benefit:cost ratio 0.95:1

(b) No recent cost-benefit analysis has been carried out in respect of possible further extensions of the Jubilee line to Woolwich and Thamesmead. At the time of the east London rail study, published July 1989, however, it was clear that the costs of such extensions would far exceed the benefits.