HC Deb 19 November 2003 vol 413 cc926-7W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to take back into full public ownership(a) rail operations, (b) full responsibility for track renewal and (c) London Underground; and if he will make a statement. [137898]

Mr. McNulty

The Government aims to deliver a safer, more reliable and efficient rail system.

What is essential is for the public and private sector working together to focus on delivering improvements. Major structural change can be disruptive and would detract effort from making improvements to the day to day management of the network.

Network Rail have said they will continue to use contractors to carry out renewals, upgrading lines or installing a new signalling system—areas where there is a competitive supply market. This work is typically carried out on a project basis, making use of a specialist workforce and is well-suited to competitive tendering. Responsibility for London Underground (LUL) transferred from central Government to Transport for London, an agency of the London Mayor on 15 July 2003. It is now for London Underground, working with the infrastructure companies, to ensure the stable long-term funding that Government is providing is used to bring the Tube up to modern standards.

Mr. Dhanda

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessments his Department has made of the potential of high-speed rail as an alternative to short-haul flights. [139354]

Mr. McNulty

Scope for the railways to provide an alternative to short-haul air services was among the many issues on which we invited views in our consultation on the future development of air transport in the United Kingdom.

We will set out our conclusions in the air transport White Paper, which we expect to publish next month.

John Thurso

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place a list of the stations which have secure station accreditation in the Library. [139743]

Mr. McNulty

The list of the 163 stations currently accredited under the Secure Stations Scheme has been placed in the House Library today. Seventy three of these stations have been reaccredited.

Approximately two thirds of all overground rail journeys, and approximately one half of all London Underground journeys now involve passengers starting or finishing their journey at a Secure Station.

Richard Ottaway

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new train carriages will be ready for use by December but cannot be used due to insufficient power supply. [133039]

Mr. McNulty

Over 2,000 new carriages are being introduced to replace all the slam-door trains—most of which are over 30 years old—across the three south-of-the-Thames franchises. Railtrack failed to plan for the associated upgrade of the power supply. The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) now has a grip on the project and expects to complete it early in 2005. Meanwhile, many of the new carriages are already in service and none is in store because of power shortages. As deliveries continue, around a 100 out of over 2,000 new carriages may be stored by December, but the SRA is leading work on ways in which they might be introduced into service using existing power supplies.

Mrs. Calton

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made towards reducing the train journey time between London and Manchester; and if he will make a statement. [134556]

Mr. McNulty

Work is currently underway to modernise the West Coast Main Line which will substantially reduce the current journey time of two hours 41 minutes. The Strategic Rail Authority's West Coast Main Line Strategy, published in June 2003, projects a reduction in minimum journey times between London and Manchester of around 40 minutes by 2007.