This is clearly not a line in decline—it is a line with increasing investment, improving services and more passengers.
Yet I understand the widespread desire for even further improvement. The campaigners want their line to be electrified, but electrification would not necessarily make the trains run any faster. That could be achieved with current rolling stock were it not for the layout of the line.
The midland main line contains a high proportion of curves, junctions and stations which mean that very high speed is impracticable. Although the speeds on the line are good, they could be even better...
Quite so Minister, quite so.
Wise words from 1990, and we are still waiting.
Over to you, the sooner the better of course!