§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for restoring the rail route facilities that permitted through services of trains from the former Great Western main line, at its junction with the Heathrow branch, with(a) King's Cross, (b) Liverpool Street and (c) Stratford, as part of his studies consequent on the report of the Royal Commission on environmental pollution.
§ Mr. WattsAny restoration of these rail routes is a commercial matter for Railtrack. The recommendations in the report of the Royal Commission on environmental pollution will be considered carefully.
§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimates he has made of(a) the passenger demand for an international station at Stratford and (b) the number of jobs likely to be created by such a development;
(2) what estimates he has made of the likely level of demand for travel between Ebbsfleet and Paris/Brussels, and of the approximate number of passengers expected to join each train calling at Ebbsfleet;
(3) what assessment he has made of the impact of the construction of Ebbsfleet on nearby stations owned by Railtrack, and the effect of reduction in passengers using them on future levels of train services on the North Kent and Chatham lines;
(4) what analysis was carried out of the costs arid benefits to passengers of constructing stations on the proposed high-speed rail link at (a) Stratford, (b) Rainham and (c) Ebbsfleet.
§ Mr. WattsThe assessment of each of the intermediate station options was based on studies undertaken by Union Railways and its consultants. Union Railways worked closely with the principal local authorities concerned and each of the promoter groups. The approach was to evaluate and compare outline designs, passenger demands, road traffic and highway impacts, associated developments, socio-economic impacts, environmental appraisals, cost/benefit analysis, contributions by third parties and safety considerations. Account was also taken of estimates of the impact of intermediate stations on nearby domestic stations and estimates of future levels of domestic services.
Some of the information in the assessment is commercially confidential. However, much is provided in Union Railways' October 1993 report to the Government, which was placed in the Library on 24 January 1994, together with a supporting report by the consultants Pied a plc, entitled "Intermediate Station Options: Socio-Economic and Development Impacts".
§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations were received from the right hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame A. Rumbold) concerning the location of an intermediate station on the proposed high-speed rail link between London and the channel tunnel.
§ Dr. MawhinneyNo meetings were arranged by the Department of Transport between Ministers and the right hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame A. Rumbold).