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Tuesday 22 Mar 2005

NETWORK RAIL WELCOMES CONFIRMATION OF DATE FOR A NEW PUBLIC INQUIRY ABOUT THE THAMESLINK PROGRAMME

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National

Network Rail has welcomed confirmation from the Planning Inspectorate – in conjunction with the First Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Transport – that the Public Inquiry into the Thameslink Programme will be re-opened in September this year. The Secretaries of State have already stated that this Inquiry should deal only with genuinely new matters and Network Rail is confident that it has addressed those outstanding matters arising from the previous Public Inquiry. At the request of the First Secretary of State, Network Rail submitted planning and listed building applications to the London Borough of Southwark and the Corporation of London in June 2004.  These were for the replacement of 16-26 Borough High Street SE1, the new station entrance building on the site of 167-179 Queen Victoria Street EC4, and a revised design for Blackfriars railway bridge. In addition, three planning applications were submitted to the London Borough of Southwark in January 2003 which will also be considered at the re-opened Public Inquiry.  In addition, Network Rail has submitted a new Environmental Statement (ES) for the project as a whole, as requested by the First Secretary of State in January 2003.  This identifies the predicted significant environmental effects of the scheme and how these should be addressed and will also be considered at the re-opened Public Inquiry.  A start date for construction is dependent upon the outcome of the Public Inquiry and securing funding for the scheme. However, it is anticipated that the construction period will last a minimum of five years.