§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the rail projects which have involved the establishment of enhanced Companies (EnCos) since the publication of the Strategic Rail Authority's Strategic Plan. [171402]
§ Mr. DarlingNone, because Enhancement Companies (EnCos) proved to be an unnecessarily complex method of involving the private sector. The preferred method now is by means of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), specially formed to take forward an infrastructure upgrade. A number of SPVs are currently under development, including that for the Chiltern Line upgrade.
§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the impact on his target to increase passenger volumes on the railway of the policy adopted by the Government and the Strategic Rail Authority's to thin rail services. [174073]
§ Mr. DarlingNo specific assessment has been made by the Department in this area. However, the SRA's Capacity Utilisation Policy aims to make the best use of capacity on the rail network. In some instances this involves taking lightly used services out of the timetable in order to increase the resilience and reliability of the network and the services that use it. A reliable rail service is a key factor that people consider when deciding whether or not to travel by rail.
§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the economic impact of(a) regular commuter journeys on the railways and (b) long-distance non-commuter journeys. [174078]
1115W
§ Mr. DarlingAdvice from the Strategic Rail Authority on the value for money case for investment to enhance passenger rail services includes assessment of the economic impact of the proposal on all rail passengers.