2016-11-08 Rail update: rail investment in the Great Western route (Department for Transport)

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date 30 April 1996
source Department of Transport
type Press release

note 138

Steven Norris, Minister for Transport in London, today launched
a new transport strategy for London. Mr Norris said:

This is the first comprehensive statement of the
Governments transport policies for London since 1989. Our
aim is to continue to provide a first class service to the
travelling public in London, as we move into the next
millennium.

The Green Paper on transport which we published last week
sets a framework for transport nationally. In developing
our strategy, we have taken a fundamental look at how this
relates to the particular circumstances of London, its
economy and environment.

A great deal has been achieved in recent years through
public and private investment, progressive privatisation
and better management of our transport networks. We want
to build on this, in partnership with local authorities,
business, transport providers and the private sector. This
strategy marks the way forward.

As well as describing recent achievements in Londons transport,
the strategy looks forward to future developments, both on public
transport and road. Plans for future projects are presented as
a rolling programme, including a package of possible new
crossings of the River Thames in East London, which follows
the consultation exercise last year.

In addition to the plans for new projects, the strategy emphasises
the importance of making best use of the existing infrastructure in
London.

In particular the strategy:

-indicates that the Government looks to see further improvements in
the quality of Londons rail, Tube and bus services and explains its
hope, subject to other funding priorities, to maintain investment in
the existing London Underground network at broadly the current level,
which is already considerably higher than any previous government;

-looks forward to the quality of overground rail services
improving through the privatisation of the railway
industry;

-includes commitments to fund the Red Route network and
the London bus priority and cycle networks to completion.

-contains the winners of the London Cycling Initiative,
which was launched last year.

Notes to Editors

1. The London Pride Partnership, a joint initiative of the
Association of London Government and London First, published Londons
Action Programme for Transport: 1995-2010 in 1995, which made certain
recommendations. A Transport Strategy for London responds to those.
It also expands on many of the issues of the Governments Green Paper
on transport, as they apply in London.

2. The strategy is published in summary form (available from
the Government Office for London free of charge), and a full
version which contains the detailed analysis underlying the
strategy (available from HMSO at a price of #27). A leaflet
detailing the key points of the strategy is also available free
of charge from the Government Office for London).

3. See also Press Notice 139 on river crossings and Press
Notice 140 on the London Cycling Initiative.

4. Mr Norris announced the Transport Strategy for London in
response to a Parliamentary Question from Matthew Carrington
(MP for Fulham). Full text of the Answer is attached.


Annexe

Matthew Carrington MP

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he proposes to
publish a statement on his Transport Strategy for London.

Steven Norris MP

I have today placed in the libraries of the House copies of A
Transport Strategy for London. In this document we set out our
overall objectives for transport in London and an integrated
strategy to achieve them.

# = pounds sterling

Railhub Archive ::: 1996-04-30 DoT-001