Written question asked by Eric Martlew (Labour) on Tuesday, 27 October 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 29 October 2009. It was answered by Chris Mole (Labour) on Wednesday, 4 November 2009 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

West Coast Railway Line: Speed Limits

Question: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether there are plans to improve the signalling on the West Coast Main Line to enable 135 mph running speeds.

Answer: The Government have no plans for 135 miles per hour (mph) running. The West Coast Main Line was recently modernised and resignalled to permit significantly more 125 mph operations across the route. This has significantly reduced journey times and provided more frequent services for millions of passengers every year.In January the Government established the High Speed Two company which, by the end of the year, will make a proposal for an entirely new line between London and the West Midlands and advise on the potential development of the high speed network to the north of England and Scotland.

Secondary information