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Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: Translink has advised that it will use existing rolling stock to service the line between Antrim and Bleach Green.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company submitted an application for European funding for a study of transport options on the Belfast to Newtownards corridor on 28 March 1996.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: Given the current financial resources available for public transport in Northern Ireland, there are currently no plans to proceed with such a scheme.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The E-way project is not at a sufficiently advanced stage to warrant an application being made to the European Union for funding. For similar reasons, private sector sources of funding have not been explored.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The E-way study has been completed but has not been formally presented by the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company to the Department for Regional Development for a decision on the contribution it could make to the future of public transport within the region. Even if the decision on the study is favourable, the scheme could not proceed until current funding constraints are resolved.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The project comprised a new station building, provision for
disabled access, upgrading to platforms and canopies, external environmental improvements and a new access roadway. A private sector developer was to provide the access roadway. When this was not possible the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company withdrew the application.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: Figures available from Translink show that the percentage increase in passenger traffic on the railway line from Belfast to Dublin between the periods 1995-96 and 1998-99 is 4.5 per cent. Translink would attribute this increase to the programme of investment.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: On 20 April 2000, Mr Adam Ingram MP, Minister of State in the Northern Ireland Office, announced the composition of the Railways Task Force. The members were selected on the basis of a joint process between the Department for Regional Development and the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company.
The terms of reference for the task force are:
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: Translink has advised that no proposals have been made to carry freight on the Belfast to Londonderry railway line.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The Government of the Republic of Ireland have not made any formal representations to Her Majesty's Government concerning the Belfast/Londonderry line. There are no plans to extend the line to Donegal.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: Proposals for EU funding for Northern Ireland were contained in the NI Structural Funds Plan 2000-05 which was submitted to the European Commission in November 1999. This included proposals in relation to public transport for both the Transitional Objective 1 and Peace II programmes. Negotiations on the new programmes are currently under way and we do not yet know precisely what the outcome or final allocations will be. The use of the Structural Funds in Northern Ireland meets fully the European Commission's requirements on additionality.
Following the publication of the A D Little report on railway safety in Northern Ireland (28 March 2000), the Government set up a task force to examine options for the future of railways in NI. Part of the remit of the task force will be to identify the range of options for the future of the railway network in Northern Ireland. This will take account of the scope for securing additional sources of funding to augment public expenditure for railways, including public private partnerships.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: Northern Ireland Railways has a statutory duty to ensure the safe operation of railway services at all times and continues to exercise this. NIR has advised that all issues highlighted in the review requiring immediate action have been addressed. It is understood that the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, which has oversight of NI Railways, has established a group safety committee and that the chairman, a non-executive Director, is charged with monitoring safety issues.
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