§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the benefits of advanced train protection in preventing accidents; what assessment he has made of the absence of advanced train protection in respect of the Watford accident; and if he will install advanced train protection mechanisms at those locations his Department assesses as presenting the greatest risk of accidents. [5064]
§ Mr. WattsThe costs and benefits of the BR version of automatic train protection were assessed by the British Railways Board and the independent Health and Safety Commission in 1994–95. On 30 March 1995, the Government endorsed the HSC's view on the future of ATP.
Railtrack remains committed to a co-ordinated programme of measures to reduce the risks of ATP preventable accidents. These measurers comprise Railtrack's train protection strategy and include a driver reminder appliance due to be installed in train cabs during 1997, and a train protection warning system due to be piloted in 1997 and to commence installation by early 1998. TPWS will be installed at those locations assessed by Railtrack to be at greatest risk of TP preventable accidents.
The independent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate into the railway accident near Watford junction on 8 August 1996 is continuing. A report will be published by HSE when the investigation is complete.