First Beeching Closure Protests for Decision
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THE first 47 rail passenger service closures proposed by Dr. Beeching have brought Mr. Marples 43 headaches. All but four' of the proposals have brought objections from users and in these cases the closures, planned for September 9. cannot go ahead unless Mr. Marples himself gives the word.
If he refuses closure--as he has just done on the Haltwhistle to Alston line---he may face the proposition from Dr. Beeching to maf:c good the necessary losses. If he agrees to closure on condition that bus services are provided or expanded to meet the needs of the area affected, he will again come up against the railways' unrelenting economic arguments.
The Transport Act has provided a kitty of £450m. to be used between 1963-67 to meet railway deficits. This will be the fund from which the cost of retaining uneconomic services will be met: The Minister will be guided in his decisions by the verdicts of the area transport users' consultative committees. with whom the objections have been lodged. He will also bear in mind the relative cost of strengthening the road system in the places affected, and the bus situation. Public hardship. says the will be consideration
Government, number one. The Haltwhistle-Alston outcome (this was the project in the pipeline when the Beeching report was issued) cannot be taken as an indication of the Minister's attitude. It is a welcome sign that proposals do not equal closures, but nothing more.
The 47 proposals brought forward for the Railways Board affect. nine areas of the country: Scotland, Wales, North East. North West, Yorkshire, East Midland. West Midland,. South East and South West, some of them jointly. • Although the hundreds of future proposals are likely to get some publicity as they are announced, the Government is taking care to make sure that this happens. It would be as well if, from now on, interested parties watched out for orthodox methods of notification. which will include local newspapers.
As the list of passenger closures approved by Mr. Marples begins to mount, so will the offensive against them. The Labour Party is already calling for a standstill to the plans until other forms of transport have been subjected to an equally ruthless survey. It is a reasonable bet that this would occur if, in the event of an autumn election this year, Labour gains its expected victory.
Meanwhile, a 'number of applications have been made to the Scottish Traffic Commissioners for new and improved bus services to be introduced if the Beeching recommendations are implemented.
W. Alexander and Sons Ltd. has applied to operate Ellon-Udny Station and Frascrburgh-St. Combs services in Aberdeenshire. and a route between C'rieff and Gleneagles in Perthshire. Simpson's Motors, of Rosehearty, is also seeking permission to start a Fraserburgh-St. Combs service.
Scottish Omnibuses Ltd. is asking for additional services between Edinburgh and Berwick, Kilmarnock and Ardrossan, and Carlisle and Langholm.
Decisions arrived at on the applications will come into force only if rail services on the routes involved are in fact withdrawn.