§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what representation he has received about proposals for the construction of a rail tunnel from the existing electrified north London link line in the Silvertown-North Woolwich area to the London Bridge to Gravesend line south of the Thames at Woolwich; what estimate he has made of the approximate cost of (i) single and (ii) double bore tunnels; and what assessment he has made of the priority and value for money of (1) the proposed tunnel, (2) the projected east London river crossing and (3) the proposed Blackwall bridge;
(2) pursuant to his oral answer of 24 January, Official Report, column 9, concerning studies of cross-Thames rail links in east London, what is the estimated cost of constructing a tunnel of about one mile between North Woolwich and Woolwich Arsenal (a) of one bore and (b) of two bores; and what is the approximate capacity of persons per hour in both directions that each would provide.
§ Mr. NorrisLondon Transport, the London Docklands development corporation and Network SouthEast have424W recently published a report of their joint study of the options for a rail tunnel between the royal docks and Woolwich. Provisional engineering feasibility work has established that the preferred option for the tunnel might be immersed tube, which could provide for a twin-track tunnel with a capacity of perhaps up to 24,000 passengers per hour in each direction. Depending upon the nature of the preferred scheme, capital costs, including rolling stock, are estimated at between £160 million and £250 million. A full study is to be undertaken during 1994.
This rail crossing, the east London river crossing, and Blackwall bridges are all at different stages of development and it is too soon to assess priorities; but each appears to justify further study.