HC Deb 24 October 1995 vol 264 cc576-7W
Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the major components of his announced £7 million cost of a study of the re-equipping the west coast main line and the estimated components and total cost of its modernisation. [39320]

Mr. Watts

The overall costs of the west coast main line investment programme is estimated at some £1 billion. Nearly £7 million of European funding has been secured for 1995. This money will be used to finance the feasibility and design works for the modernisation project and go towards work to enable Eurostar trains to run international services on the route from next year.