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Minister's Policy on Rail Closures

6th November 1964
Page 49
Page 49, 6th November 1964 — Minister's Policy on Rail Closures
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IN the Commons on Wednesday, Mr. Tom Fraser, the Transport Minister, told M.P.s that while regional transport plans were being prepared he would not consent to any major passenger rail closures—and that meant closures which were likely to conflict with those regional plans. He promised to consider all proposals "against the background of future economic and population trends, taking fully into account the possible economic and social consequences, including road congestion".

The Minister had arranged with the British Railways Board that, even where he thought it right to grant consent, rail track would be retained for the time being unless he agreed otherwise. This would also apply to closures already approved, he said, but where there had been no commitment to dispose of the track.

Mr. Fraser pledged to refuse consent— or to attach appropriate conditions to a consent—wherever he thought it necessary on account of hardship. He had revealed that on the same day he had refused the closure of 12 stations and withdrawal of local services on the Carlisle-Hellifield line. He also said that while at present he was not going to ask Parliament to modify the procedure, he had arranged for particulars of future passenger closures to be sent to him when the British Railways Board were ready to publish them. The .Minister promised to examine them quickly with other Ministers and to tell the 'Railways Board at once if the proposal was obviously unacceptable, at least for the time being, And the Railways Board had agreed to defer publication in these cases. A reference was made by Mr. Fraser to requests made to him to stop closures which Mr..Marples had approved, and to resume services already withdrawn. He had been advised that he had no Power under the Act to do this, he said, but he could vary or add to conditions attached to the consents and he would not hesitate to do this where desirable.

Mr. Fraser said ihe action he had outlined was to make sure no irrevocable action was taken which might prejudice the development of policies of economic and transport planning—and also that there would be proper regard for social and hardship considerations and that at the same time the Railways and the country could achieve immediate financial savings wherever justified.

Answering Mr. Jeremy Thorpe (Liberal, North Devon), the Minister said that the 1962 Act gave him no power to consider the withdrawal of freight services. He would not, therefore, want to undertake just now to make any review of freight services.

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Organisations: British Railways Board

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