§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 18 January,Official Report, column 485, if he will list the year of introduction and the number of carriages currently in use on British Rail's Kent coastal services in each of the BR classes 415/1–5, 416/2 and 4, 416/3, 411, 413, 415/6–7 and any other mark I carriages; and when the last of each of these classes of carriages will have been replaced by new rolling stock.
§ Mr. WattsThe list of the carriages in use in December 1994 is as follows:
Class Units (coaches) Date built from 411 106(424) 1959 414 5(10) 1951 421 21(84) 1964 423 66(264) 1967 207 5(10) 1962 The replacement of rolling stock, and the appropriate timing of an order, is a decision for BR. However, I understand that the last of the class 414 vehicles in the Kent Coast fleet will be withdrawn by 13 April 1995; the other classes of vehicles listed are considered by BR to have four years' serviceable life left, and in its view are likely to need replacing during 1999.
§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 18 January,Official Report, column 485, if he will give an undertaking that all carriages currently in use on British Rail's Kent coastal services in the BR classes 411, 413, 415, and 416 will either be strengthened immediately or replaced by new rolling stock within the time scale recommended by the Hidden report into the Clapham Junction railway accident; and how many of these mark I carriages he expects will still be in service in April 1999 given current rolling stock investment plans.
§ Mr. WattsI understand that by 13 April 1995 all the mark I vehicles in classes 413, 415 and 416 will have been withdrawn and replaced by Networker class 465 and 466 trains.
Because class 411 vehicles are considered to have only four years' serviceable life left, it would not be reasonably practicable to carry out structural changes to these vehicles. I understand that they will need to be withdrawn from services during 1999.