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11 Feb 2003 : Column 842—continued
Mr. Osborne: From memory, the Minister is referring to the appendix to the consultation document, where he will see that the word "Wilmslow" is mentioned only twice, on two maps. The appendix does not make it clear that the Wilmslow service is under any threat at all.
Mr. Jamieson: I thought that the hon. Gentleman had said that the document contained no reference to Wilmslow, but now he tells us that there are two references. I assure him that Wilmslow is there, contained on the line. I am sure that many other stations are not mentioned explicitly but are on lines that are discussed in the document.
As the hon. Gentleman knows, Wilmslow is on the west coast main line, on the branch between Crewe and Stockport. The west coast main line has been the subject of much debate over the years in this House, and rightly so. It is the most important trunk route on Britain's rail network, linking London to the midlands, the north-west and Scotland, and carrying local and long-distance high-speed passenger traffic. The line is also the core national freight route and has significant commuting flows around London, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham. The route is undergoing a much-publicised programme of modernisation and upgrading.
It may help if I briefly explain the history of the works to give some context to the debate over future service levels. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will realise that that history underpins much of the SRA's thinking on the important matters that he has raised.
The works represent the first major investment on the line since it was electrified in the 1960s and 1970s. The route was extensively renewed and upgraded at that time, but work carried out since has been very limited. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, it became apparent that significant expenditure was required if the line was to be kept up to modern standards and allow capacity for growth. British Rail contemplated upgrades but no investment plans emerged until the passenger upgrade 1 and passenger upgrade 2 agreements between the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and Railtrack, and Virgin Trains and Railtrack, signed in 1996 and 1998 respectively. Those planned upgrades have been fraught with difficulties. We all know now that Railtrack massively underestimated and undervalued the scale of the work required. As costs rocketed, the time scales for completion were put back again and again. For months, Railtrack struggled to keep a grip on the project. Eventually, it became apparent that the original outputs could not be delivered.
The users of the route were left in limbo, unsure of what would be provided, how many train paths would be allocated, and when. As Railtrack spiralled into administration, it became apparent that someone else would have to pick up the pieces.
That task was taken on by the Strategic Rail Authority, the body that we established in 2001 to bring the effective leadership and direction to the industry that had been lacking under the previous privatisation. The authority decided that it was time to develop realistic
strategies for completing the project and allocating capacity on a fair basis to meet, as far as possible, the needs of the different users of the line: freight, local passenger services and high-speed, long-distance services.On 29 August last year, the authority announced a new master plan to accelerate the west coast works. This was agreed in conjunction with Railtrack and the passenger train and freight operating companies. It changed the programme from a prolonged series of weekend works to dedicated line possessions. The new programme is based around a series of strategic projects, including two 17-week total line possessions. The first will take place later this year between Colwich in Staffordshire and Cheadle Hulme, the section of line that carries the trains from Manchester to London via Stoke. The second is scheduled for the beginning of 2004 on the route from Crewe to Cheadle Hulme on which Wilmslow is situated.
In both closure periods, direct north-to-south services will be maintained. They will go through Crewe when the Stoke branch is closed and vice versa. When rail services cannot operate, an alternative road service will be provided linking those stations that are closed with those that are not. By adopting such an approach, more than 60 miles of new railway will be delivered in a little over four months. Under the previous delivery programme, that could have taken up to two years.
Coupled with a series of additional work programmes on the route south of Crewe, the new railway will provide the much-needed extra capacity and increased line speeds of up to 125 mph by 2004. I am sure that that is enormously good news to the people of Tatton, not least those in Wilmslow. I know that closing sections of the line will cause disruption, but the work has to be done sooner or later and this method will ensure disruption is kept to a minimum. The authority and the train operators have worked extremely hard on planning alternative rail services and, where necessary, road services to mitigate the disruption. As the west coast main line has faced decades of neglect, it is hardly surprising that such tough decisions have had to be taken.
Having agreed a strategy for delivering the upgrade, in October last year, the authority turned its attention to the allocation of capacity on the line. Recognising that demand would outstrip availability, and keen to ensure a solution that addressed the needs of all the different users of the route so far as it is possible, the authority launched a draft strategy and consultation process. In producing the draft strategy, the authority sought input from the entire railway industry, including Network Rail and the affected operators, both passenger and freight. On publication of the draft strategy, a vast array of interested parties were invited to comment. They included industry bodies, the rail passengers committees, local authorities and the regional development agencies.
The process is a positive example of consultative, co-operative working by the industry and stakeholders. A large number of responses were received from all levels of interest, including from many members of the public and possibly the hon. Gentleman's constituents. The SRA has therefore established a detailed picture of the aspirations of the industry and passengers alike.
The consultation closed on 16 October and the authority is currently working up final proposals. At this stage, no final decisions have been taken.What does the draft strategy say? The authority explicitly states that the overriding aim is to ensure that the project delivers value for taxpayers' money and that the passenger and freight operators receive early improvements. Nobody will argue with that. Furthermore, the strategy has to be affordable. The days of Railtrack's back-of-an-envelope calculations are well and truly over. Of course, to do that, hard choices have to be made. The authority has reconsidered capacity requirements for each type of traffic—passenger and freight—to maximise the opportunities to fit in with other types. Choices have to be made between fast and stopping services, and between passenger and freight services. Those choices seek to ensure the best consensus, given that there is not infinite capacity to meet all demands.
In discussions between the authority and Virgin Trains, the company has made it apparent that its favoured route between Manchester and London would be via Stoke, to which the hon. Gentleman referred. That is the shorter of the two possible routes, the alternative being via Wilmslow and Crewe. The SRA and Network Rail support that view, so the Stoke line will be the key route for Virgin Trains services. I do not think that he will be surprised to hear that. However, there may still be scope for running some direct services through Wilmslow, and it is even possible that the current service of three trains a day will be maintained if it is demonstrated that it offers value for money and is workable within the overall service pattern. The Strategic Rail Authority is considering those matters in the light of the responses to its consultation.
Whatever the outcome of those deliberations, passengers travelling from Wilmslow to the north or south will be able to take advantage of enhanced west coast services by connecting at Crewe, Stockport or Manchester, about 25 minutes away by local train services, as many passengers do at present. The draft strategy envisages that the service from Crewe can be increased from 32 trains daily at present to 42 trains in 2004. The journey time from Crewe to London could be reduced from about two hours and eight minutes to about one hour and 43 minutes. Similarly, there will be capacity to increase the service from Manchester from 20 trains a day at present to 29 from 2004, with a journey time reduction to London of half an hour through the provision of 125 mph trains. New Pendolino trains will be provided, the first of which is already in service between Manchester and London. A substantial proportion of the fleet is due to be in service for the winter 2004 timetable.
Mr. Osborne: The Minister correctly said that the west coast main line modernisation will increase capacity and add a number of additional train services. Does he therefore accept that the people whom I represent will find it particularly difficult to understand why their three services a day may be lost? There is more room for those services, not less.
Mr. Jamieson: I am glad that the hon. Gentleman now accepts the value of the Government's enormous investment in the west coast main line and the way in
which it will improve capacity in his area. Those of us who represent other parts of the country would very much like some of that investment in our areas.
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