§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the effect of the subsidence of old mine workings under the east coast main line between Prestonpans and Wallyford; what assessment he has made of the completeness of the record of such workings under railway lines; and what will be the liability of Railtrack for the consequences and costs of similar incidents following privatisation.
§ Mr. WattsA temporary speed restriction was imposed in November 1994 between Prestonpans and Wallyford station following discovery of subsidence of old mine workings during routine maintenance. To prevent further subsidence, Railtrack is injecting concrete slurry into the former mine workings. It is anticipated that the work will be completed in the next few weeks and the line speed will be back to 60 mph by March 1995 and restored to 125 mph later in the year.
Railtrack is carrying out a search of mining records compiled by the British Railways Board, the Coal Authority and other sources for a report identifying the locations of mine shafts, drifts and shallow mine workings in the vicinity of Railtrack property.
Liability for costs and consequences of remedial work to a collapsed mineshaft or shallow mine working will depend on the circumstances of each case. Privatisation will make no difference to Railtrack's liabilities.