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Lib Dems blame government for putting road before rail
Page 15
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THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS claimed last week that Labour has expanded Britain's roads 15 times faster than its railways in the past decade.
Although many hauliers would like to see even more roads built, the Lib Dems say that since 1997, there have been 405 miles of road and motorway constructed, against just 27 miles of railway.
The figures, based on a Parliamentary answer and a letter from Network Rail, indicate that spending on building new motorways is 10 times more than on laying new railway track.
Norman Baker, the Lib Dems' Shadow Transport Secretary, says: "The figures show that behind its green facade, the government has been pursuing the same old unsustainable Tory policy of treating new roads as investment and new rail as subsidy."
The Freight Transport Association (FTA), which wants increased expansion of both roads and railways, says it is more spending all round that is needed.
Geoff Dossetter, the FIA's director of external affairs, says: "If we want to remain competitive, we have to invest in all modes of transport." One of the problems with investing in new roads and railway is that there are usually objections to both.
Dosset.ter says: "Rail is so often put forward by environmentalists as the best option, but when the government tries to build new railways, they come up against exactly the same sort of complaints as they do with roads."
In reply to the Lib Dems' question, the Department for Transport says the cost of building a mile of motorway was £28.4m, against £43m for a mile of high-speed railway line.