I welcome the initiative of the hon. Member for Richmond, Surrey (Mr. A. Royle) in raising this subject this afternoon, but I must challenge the list that he gave of his hon. Friends who, according to his opening remarks, were the main contenders in the efforts to keep this line open when the announcement to close it was first made.

I was grateful for the help from the hon. Gentleman and from many of his former hon. Friends who are no longer with us, but I would remind the House that within 24 hours there was a lobby which was supported by the mayors, and two rooms were taken by myself and Michael Cliffe, who used to represent Finsbury, and that the last great effort that was made when the mayors again attended was organised by the hon. Member for Willesden, West.

Having evened the score on the claim as to who was pushing the most, I accept the hon. Gentleman's contention that we fought the campaign in this area pledging ourselves to keep this line open. I urge my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to get Dr. Beeching or the Railways Board to take the initiative in settling this matter once for all, so that we shall know that the line is to be preserved, although not in its present rather antiquated form. With regard to the petition which the hon. Member mentioned, I was handing out forms for two hours at Willesden Junction, which, I think, has not been painted since the relief of Mafeking. If the line is to be preserved, it must not be preserved as a museum piece, but as part of an economic transport system.

I urge my hon. Friend not only to think in terms of maintaining the service for all the users in my Constituency and in the constituency of the hon. Member for Richmond, Surrey, but also to provide further capital investment whereby it can be made a viable and going concern. Without that, merely maintaining it in its present state of efficiency, will not do the service that this can do to relieve the enormous congestion that occurs in transport on the roads and the underground which serves this important area of north-west London.