§ Mr. PageTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what are the(a) original and (b) latest estimates of the (i) cost and (ii) longevity of the West Coast Main Line works in Hertfordshire. [15804]
§ Mr. JamiesonIt is not possible to give a breakdown of costs of the works in Hertfordshire alone. We know from our discussions with the Strategic Rail Authority, Railtrack and Virgin Trains that the project is facing problems in terms of cost increases and uncertainty about the timescale for delivery. Works in Hertfordshire will include major track, signalling and power supply replacement. There are major packages planned for the summer of 2002 and spring 2003 in the Hemel-Tring area, and major resignalling works planned for the Watford area in 2004.