---

Rail Services (Overcrowding)

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will give details of the measure of overcrowding being used by the Strategic Rail Authority; and if he will make a statement. [23504]

Mr. Jamieson: The Passenger in Excess of Capacity (PIXC) standard states that

"in respect of all trains operated by the Franchise Operator on the specified routes and services, (i) the PIXC in the morning peak shall not exceed 4.5 per cent., (ii) the PIXC in the evening peak shall not exceed 4.5 per cent., (iii) the PIXC on the morning and the evening peak shall not exceed 3 per cent. and (iv) the PIXC shall not be unduly concentrated on any particular route or service".

PIXC is applied to the 10 train operators running services in and out of London as well as Scotrail's services across the Fife Bridge.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment has been made by (a) his Department and (b) the Strategic Rail Authority of the levels of overcrowding (i) for each train operating company, (ii) temporally and (iii) geographically; and if he will make a statement. [23503]

Mr. Jamieson: There is a strong commercial incentive on train operators to supply sufficient levels of comfort for passengers on the services they provide. The SRA

19 Dec 2001 : Column: 536W

measures commuter overcrowding using the "Passengers in Excess of Capacity" mechanism, for which the results are published annually.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what research his Department has (a) carried out, (b) commissioned and (c) consulted upon on the measure of overcrowding levels of rail passenger services as used by the Strategic Rail Authority; if he will place copies of reports published as a result of such research conducted in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [23506]

Mr. Jamieson: The SRA expect commuter Train Operating Companies to undertake impartial passenger counts up to twice per annum for peak commuter services. Where PTEs specify limits for peak overcrowding they use a similar approach.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps (a) have been and (b) are planned to be taken by (i) his Department and (ii) the Strategic Rail Authority to improve the measure of overcrowding used by the Strategic Rail Authority to take account of variations (A) between train operating companies, (B) temporally and (C) geographically; and if he will make a statement. [23502]

Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority is developing a new process for a consistent method of calculating overcrowding in commuter areas across the network. It will be based upon the existing Passengers In Excess of Capacity (PIXC) mechanism used for London commuter operators and for services from Fife into Edinburgh.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made by (a) his Department and (b) the Strategic Rail Authority in reducing levels of overcrowding on the rail network; and if he will make a statement. [23501]

Mr. Jamieson: A number of measures have been introduced to reduce overcrowding including: the introduction of new trains that are designed to accommodate high loading levels; additional rolling stock to increase the number of vehicles available; and franchise commitments to improve services.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will provide details of the measure of overcrowding levels of rail passenger services outlined (a) in "A New Deal for Transport", (b) in "Transport 2010: The Ten Year Plan", (c) within his Department's direction and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority of September 1999 and (d) within his Department's direction and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority of July 2001; and if he will make a statement. [23507]

Mr. Jamieson: There is a requirement in the draft Directions and Guidance provided by the Secretary of State in July to reduce overcrowding to meet Strategic Rail Authority standards—no passengers standing for journeys of more than 20 minutes, no more than 30 per cent. standing for shorter journeys—by 2010.

19 Dec 2001 : Column: 537W

Integrated Transport Research

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what research his Department has (a) carried out, (b) commissioned and (c) consulted upon on the progress his Department has made towards developing an integrated transport policy as outlined in (i) "A New Deal for Transport" and (ii) "Transport 2010: The Ten Year Plan"; if he will place copies of the documentation in relation to this research which is not publicly available in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [23520]

Mr. Jamieson: The DTLR Science and Innovation Strategy covers all research commissioned by the Department and states the general policy of open publication of research requirements and results. It is available at http://www.research.dtlr.gov.uk/sis2001/ index.htm

The draft Strategy for Integrated Transport Research was published for consultation in March 2001 and is available on the web at http://www.dtlr.gov.uk/itwp/ consult/research/index.htm.

It highlights those areas where research is already being carried out in support of the Government's integrated transport objectives and outlines the key strategic research issues arising from "A New Deal for Transport" and "Transport 2010—The Ten Year Plan".

Details of the Department's transport research programmes are published annually, and are also available on DTLR's website at the following address: http://www.research.dtlr.gov.uk/research/03.htm. These documents set out the objectives and priorities of the individual research programmes, summarise latest research findings and provide details of new projects.

Copies of these documents are being placed in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what research his Department has (a) carried out, (b) commissioned and (c) consulted upon in relation to progress made towards the development of (i) a real time travel information service, (ii) Transport Direct and (iii) a comprehensive travel information and retailing service; if he will place copies of documentation in relation to this research which is not publicly available in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [23519]

Mr. Jamieson: The following research is currently under way on real time information:

a wide ranging market research programme is in the process of being let. This will include the extent to which the public seek real time information and the manner in which they wish to see it delivered.


We are also seeking the creation of common standards for bus real time information systems, and are currently preparing a specification to outline common standards and compatibility for real time information systems. A consultation document will be released in the new year.


On the railway network, the Strategic Rail Authority has funded a feasibility study on Real Time Train Movements (RTTM) and this is due to report in March 2002.

On Transport Direct, which will be a comprehensive travel information and retailing service, the following major items of research have been commissioned or

19 Dec 2001 : Column: 538W

conducted. For a full list, please refer to the annual Departmental Research Compendium, "Roads and Local Transport Research Programme: Compendium of Research Projects 2000–2001", a copy of which is already in the House of Commons Library.

The Transportation Research Group (TRG) at Southampton University has recently carried out a review of previous, current and planned research in areas relevant to Transport Direct. Their report is available on my Department's website and the report will be placed in the Library.


We have commissioned a data management framework study, to define the way in which data may be input, exchanged, transferred, retrieved and manipulated. This study will allow us to assess the data management task that Transport Direct will need to tackle.


We have some research under way looking at the standards which will be necessary for Transport Direct and seeing whether further standards should be developed.


We envisage further technological work being commissioned to underpin Transport Direct.


Work has begun on the development of a Business Plan for Transport Direct. This will be published next summer.


Further research may also be necessary to support traveline.

Transport Direct

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will provide details of progress which has been made by his Department with the delivery of Transport Direct against the timetable originally outlined; what further steps he plans to take to implement these plans according to the original timetable; what amendments to the original timetable (a) have been made and (b) are planned; and if he will make a statement. [23518]

Mr. Jamieson: The 10-Year Plan, published in July 2000, said that by 2003 we expect Transport Direct to include:

real-time train operating information;


real-time information on many local bus services;


internet travel information, covering road journeys as well as all forms of public transport at a single point of contact;


internet booking of long-distance journeys involving different forms of transport; and


development of internet based maps that allow travellers to examine public transport options both for visiting a specific venue and for general travel around an area.

We are on course to deliver these targets.

Since the publication of the "10-Year Plan", we have made considerable progress:

Traveline is up and running;


Traveline has a website and an increasing number of areas should be added to this during 2002;


Journey Solutions is expecting to launch the work it is doing in spring 2002 and has added several new schemes;


a feasibility study for rail real time has started and should report in March 2002;


we are investing heavily—£20 million—in bus real time systems next year as part of the local transport plan arrangements;


Sir Malcolm Field has been appointed as Transport Direct's external adviser.

19 Dec 2001 : Column: 539W

---