Examination of Witnesses (Questions 9900
- 9919)
9900. MR ELVIN: Yes.
9901. LORD YOUNG OF NORWOOD GREEN: I
thought they had also allowed for future growth up to 2015 for
EWS.
9902. MR ELVIN: It is not for EWS; it
is for the freight industry without the ORR saying, "I will
necessarily allocate it", that is what 58 means.
9903. LORD YOUNG OF NORWOOD GREEN: But
it does mean that they have allowed for freight growth up to 2015.
9904. MR ELVIN: Yes. It means that additional
paths over and above those that exist at the moment have been
allowed for and are factored into the change control mechanism,
so if we conflict with some of those additional future growth
paths the change control mechanism still bites and deletes our
paths.
9905. CHAIRMAN: The track access option
only applies to Crossrail.
9906. MR ELVIN: Yes.
9907. CHAIRMAN: Not to any of the freight
companies.
9908. MR ELVIN: It cannot prejudge future
applications by other train operating companies but it has provided
a pot of capacity for freight should it be required.
(Mr Smith) Or any other user.
9909. It certainly cannot be Crossrail because
we cannot conflict with that pot of extra capacity otherwise the
change control mechanism says we lose a path. The other reason
for looking at 2015, Mr Smith, and I think this really needs to
be my last question, is of course one of the problems is without
additional infrastructure it is difficult for the freight to grow
beyond 2015. Infrastructure improvements are required in any event
to allow for growth beyond 2015.
(Mr Smith) It depends on the nature of the growth, the time
of day and the type of train.
9910. But broadly speaking?
(Mr Smith) Broadly speaking.
9911. MR ELVIN: Thank you very much.
9912. BARONESS FOOKES: Mr Elvin, early
on in your cross-examination—
9913. MR ELVIN: Was that my cross-examination
by the Committee or in front of the Committee!
9914. BARONESS FOOKES: Of Mr Smith.
9915. MR ELVIN: Thank you.
9916. BARONESS FOOKES: You stopped Mr
Smith from something he was trying to say on the grounds that
he should answer your question. What I should be interested to
know is the conclusion of what Mr Smith was attempting to say
when you interrupted him.
9917. MR ELVIN: I am sorry, my Lady.
9918. CHAIRMAN: If he can remember!
9919. MR ELVIN: I cannot remember!
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