HC Deb 19 September 2003 vol 410 cc1062-3W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures have been taken to extend public transport infrastructure since 1997; and what measures have been taken to ensure that the infrastructure is adequately maintained. [130453]

Mr. McNulty

We have launched a major programme of investment through the 10 Year Plan for transport, published in July 2000. This comprises a £180 billion programme of public and private funding aimed at improving transport infrastructure and services across all modes. Major additions and enhancements to public transport infrastructure started or completed since 1997 include:

  • High Speed Channel Tunnel Rail Link
  • Heathrow Express rail line
  • West Coast Main Line upgrade
  • Chiltern Line double-tracking
  • Rebuilding of Manchester and Leeds stations
  • London Underground Jubilee Line extension
  • London Underground modernization
  • Docklands Light Rail extensions to Lewisham and City Airport
  • New light rail lines in Birmingham, Manchester, Croydon, Sunderland and Nottingham
  • Guided busways in Leeds, Bradford and Crawley.

The 10 Year Plan also included substantial increases in funding to improve the maintenance of infrastructure. Funding for local road maintenance has been doubled, with the aim of eliminating the long-term maintenance backlog by 2010. Network Rail is now focussing on reducing the maintenance backlog on rail, and plans toreplace 740 miles of track this year (compared to 300 miles achieved by Railtrack and in the run-up to privatisation). And substantial new investment is now going in through the PPP to tackle the long-term maintenance backlog on the London Underground.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to invest in public transport infrastructure in the next five years. [130454]

Mr. McNulty

Investment plans for transport over the current decade were set down in the 10 Year Plan for transport, published in July 2000. Up-dated plans were published in the progress report published in December 2002. Expenditure on public transport is not separately identified, but total investment (public and private) over the five years from 2004–05 on railways, and on non-roads transport by local transport authorities and the Mayor for London, is estimated to be around £48 billion.