HC Deb 31 October 2001 vol 373 c684W
Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 23 October 2001,Official Report, column 192W, what practical changes will be required in the UK rail network as a result of Directive 2001/16/EC. [10950]

Mr. Jamieson

The Directive requires that all projects relating to the construction, upgrading, renewal and operation of the trans-European conventional rail system conform to European Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs). This system includes all the main rail lines in the UK. These TSIs will set out the detailed technical requirements that must be met, at both component and overall system levels.

They do not yet exist and the drafting process has only recently begun, so it is not possible at this stage to state what practical changes will be necessary to the UK rail network.