§ Mr. JackTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the automatic train protection equipment built in to Pendolino trains will be fully operable following the cancellation of phase II of the west coast mainline upgrade.. [17373]
§ Mr. SpellarDiscussions on the options for taking forward the west coast main line upgrade are still under way between the Government and stakeholders. At this stage we cannot predict the outcome of those discussions. The protection system for the Pendolino trains will be subject to an acceptance procedure under the aegis of Railway Safety, which will ensure that it meets the requirements of HSE.
The HSE is considering with the Government and industry the implementation of the recommendation of the Joint Inquiry into Train Protection Systems that the European Train Control System (ETCS) should be installed on principal routes of the network.