Light Rail Transit Association   URBAN TRANSIT NEWS 2005

Parliament debates light rail: In an adjournment debate requested by Paul Rowen MP (Rochdale) Members of all the main parties expressed their concern about the recent spate of cancellations and the future of light rail in the UK, making the points that trams while expensive were in the long term often the more economic mode and that much of the increases in cost were down to the Government both in the methods of procurement and in the lengthy delays in obtaining approval. Comparison was also made to the increasing cost of road schemes which did not appear to be given the same scrutiny. It was indicated that the Government had spent some £284 million on schemes which have been rejected, In response the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport Derek Twigg MP gave the stock reply about how the Government would support light rail in the right circumstances but indicating that he thought that similar results could for instance in Leeds be achieved by high quality bus services.

The LRTA recommends that you read the report of the debate, which can be found at The United Kingdom Parliament website, and would like to commend the MP's who took part and thank them for their support for light rail.

2 December 2005