North East Herts MP Oliver Heald has received the answer to a Parliamentary Question about the effect of the Office of the Rail Regulator’s recent decisions on plans for platform lengthening at Royston and electric power upgrades on the line from King’s Cross to Cambridge.
Oliver asked the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect of the draft determination of the Office of the Rail Regulator on (a) platform lengthening at Royston and (b) electric power upgrades on the line from Kings Cross to Cambridge; and if she would make a statement. The Minister for Transport, Tom Harris, replied “I am pleased that the Office of Rail Regulation has confirmed that the Government's specification for a substantial increase in rail capacity by 2014, with further improvements in reliability and safety, is affordable within the funds we have made available. Passengers at Royston will be among the many that will benefit from our widespread investment in the railways. Improving the power supply between Cambridge and Kings Cross, and lengthening the platforms at Royston and other stations, will enable longer trains to operate, meeting the growing peak demand.”
Commenting, Oliver Heald said, “For many years I have been pressing for platform lengthening at Royston and power upgrades on the line, so that we can have an improved service, which meets the growing peak demand on our line.
“I am pleased that the decisions of the Office of the Rail Regulator mean that platform lengthening and power upgrades will go ahead. This is good news for North East Hertfordshire.
“However, I am still worried about the engineering works and high temperatures on our trains and am continuing to have discussions with First Capital Connect about what can be done to make life easier for commuters in the summer months.”