§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the railway industry has for station renewal and improvement in the Thames Valley. [133665]
§ Dr. HowellsThe Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), in conjunction with Reading borough council, is developing a business case for major capacity enhancements at Reading. The project would require a682W Transport and Works Act Order, an application for which would be made around 2005. The business case will form part of that application.
Local stakeholders are also looking to commission a feasibility study on a proposal to relocate Oxford station to increase platform capacity.
More generally, the SRA has held a competition for the right to run the Thames Trains franchise in the 2004–06 period. The competition required bidders to propose ways of improving station environments. The bids are currently being evaluated by the Strategic Rail Authority. A decision is expected shortly.
§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans(a) he and (b) the railway industry have to expand track capacity on (i) the Reading to Waterloo line and (ii) the Great Western Reading to Paddington line. [133666]
§ Dr. HowellsThe Great Western Main Line will be the subject of one of the first of the Strategic Rail Authority's route utilisation strategies, on which the SRA expect to consult in summer 2004. The work will help inform decisions on any future route upgrades.
Combining the Thames, Great Western and Wessex franchises from 2006 will create a single operator at Paddington and so free up some capacity. The SRA are also considering track layout revisions at Reading which, subject to affordability, could be undertaken when resignalling takes place in 2008.