HL Deb 23 July 2001 vol 626 c165WA
Lord Lamont of Lerwick

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will institute a departmental enquiry into the delays on Eurostar trains on 8 July. [HL275]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton

This regrettable incident caused a great deal of disruption to Eurostar and domestic services and I understand that the operators involved, together with Railtrack, met to discuss it on 13 July. Although there were no safety implications from the incident, and it therefore remains primarily a matter for the operators, we are urging them to quickly take on board any lessons to be learned. We have also requested a report on the incident from the Strategic Rail Authority. Incidents such as these do highlight the benefits that will flow from the opening of the CTRL when Eurostar will be able to utilise a dedicated high-speed railway.