HC Deb 25 June 2002 vol 387 cc767-9W
Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2002,Official Report, column 1137W, if he will list the major stations owned by Railtrack plc. [64369]

Mr. Jamieson

I understand that Railtrack plc owns some 2,500 stations across the national network, the great majority of which are leased to train operating companies for them to manage. However, Railtrack plc manages directly 14 of the largest stations, known collectively as "major stations". These are as follows:

  • London Bridge
  • London Charing Cross
  • London Euston
  • London King's Cross
  • London Liverpool Street
  • London Paddington
  • London Victoria
  • London Waterloo
  • Birmingham New Street
  • Gatwick Airport
  • Leeds City

expected completion date or final report date is in each case. [63833]

Mr. Spellar

(a) The multi-modal studies that have reported and a final report published are as follows:

  • Manchester Piccadilly
  • Edinburgh Waverley
  • Glasgow Central.

Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the total cost of Railtrack administration. [63762]

Mr. Spellar

As the exact extent of the period of administration is, at this stage, unknown it is not possible to estimate the total cost of administration.

However the fees of the Administrator and his advisers are currently averaging £3.25 million per month.

Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the direct grants paid to Railtrack were, and when they were paid by the SRA, resulting from the increase in access charges granted to Railtrack as part of the last periodic review carried out by the ORR; and if he will make a statement. [62297]

Mr. Spellar

[holding answer 17 June 2002]: Direct grants from the SRA to Railtrack are a substitute income stream to track access charges from passenger train operators. In the absence of grant, access charges would need to be higher.

Appendix D of the Regulator's October 2000 Periodic Review sets out the profile of grant payments to Railtrack. Further grants agreed as part of the April 2001 agreement between Government and Railtrack are profiled in the appendices to the Regulator's letter to Railtrack of 9 April 2001.

Grant payments have so far been made of £337 million on 1 October 2001, £162 million on 16 November 2001 and £493 million on 1 April 2002.