Light Rail

Transport written question – answered at on 12 January 2006.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Alan Duncan Alan Duncan Shadow Secretary of State (Trade and Industry)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was given in subsidy by his Department to each light rail scheme currently in operation in each year since they commenced operation.

Photo of Alistair Darling Alistair Darling The Secretary of State for Scotland, The Secretary of State for Transport

holding answer 11 November 2005

The following light rail schemes are currently in operation in England.

Blackpool Trams

Croydon Tramlink

Docklands Light Railway

Manchester Metrolink

Midland Metro

Nottingham Express Transit

Sheffield Supertram

Tyne and Wear Metro

Of these, only the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and the Tyne and Wear Metro, have received operating subsidy from the Department for Transport or its predecessors and agencies.

The operating subsidy provided is as follows.

£ million
Docklands Light Railway Tyne and Wear Metro
1987–88 2.126
1988–89 2.840
1989–90 5.420
1990–91 9.999
1991–92 19.759
1992–93 15.342
1993–94 14.399
1994–95 15.656
1995–96 13.249
1996–97 19.530 8.795
1997–98 6.716 8.619
1998–99 6.343 8.630
1999–2000 20.824 9.428
2000–01 4.911 9.787
2001–02 3.681 9.884
2002–03 4.594 11.831
2003–04 3.734 13.407
2004–05 5.838 15.952

From 2000 the DLR subsidy has been paid by Transport for London (TfL).

For the years prior to 1996–97 it is not possible to separately identify the Metro element within the overall support provided for heavy rail and Metro services in Tyne and Wear.

The concessionaire of Croydon Tramlink, though it does not receive a revenue subsidy from central Government, is entitled to compensation on a 'no better, no worse' basis where fares policy enacted by the Mayor results in revenues per trip falling below those assumed in the 1996 financing plan which underpinned the Private Finance Initiative concession. It received compensation payments of £5.501 million in 2003–04 and £5.812 million (estimated) in 2004–05.

The local authorities which are responsible for the running of these systems may make some contribution to their operating costs depending on the commercial arrangements with the system operators in each particular case. The Department does not hold any central records on this.

The Department's capital expenditure on the construction of light rail systems in England since 1980 is as follows:

£ million
Amount
Tyne and Wear Metro 237.5
Docklands Light Railway 335.5
Manchester Metrolink 123.0
Sheffield Supertram 220.0
Midland Metro 80.0
Croydon Tramlink 125.0
Nottingham Express Transit 167.0

Normally this is paid as an upfront capital sum, except in the case of Nottingham Express Transit where the funding is in the form of annual availability payments.

Does this answer the above question?

Yes1 person thinks so

No0 people think not

Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.