asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the West Coast Main Line Upgrade Project will require orders under the Transport and Works Act 1992; if so, whether such orders have been applied for; and if so, how long it is envisaged before they can be granted. [HL3498]

We understand that Railtrack are preparing to apply for an Order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 in early 2000 to authorise all those aspects of the West Coast Main Line Upgrade Project in England for which they consider that they need to obtain statutory powers. The timescale for a decision on such an application will depend largely on the extent of objections.