As well as welcoming Sir Roy McNulty’s report, the Government has also today outlined its intentions for the future re-letting of the Intercity West Coast franchise which operates services between London and Scotland, serving Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and North Wales.
The new franchise will run from 2012 to 2026, to align with the proposed opening of the first phase of High Speed 2.
The proposed Train Service Specification for Inter City West Coast represents a relaxation from the rigid timetable specification of the past, while retaining obligations that protect the key elements of service, such as principal first and last trains and minimum numbers of station stops per week and per day.
This marks a significant shift from the micro-management that has prevented operators from maximising capacity and reacting to the changing demands of their passengers in the past.
A stakeholder briefing document for the Inter City West Coast franchise, detailing consultees responses, was published today along with an Invitation to Tender which has been published in draft format to allow a further consultation to take place on the train service requirement proposed.
The new franchise will start on 9 December 2012 and it will run until 31st March 2026 with an option for the Department to extend up to 20 months.
In the meantime, the Department is discussing with Virgin Rail the terms of an extension to the current franchise to 8th December 2012.
If satisfactory terms cannot be agreed, DOR – the company which runs East Coast on behalf of the Government will be ready to operate the West Coast Mainline on a temporary basis.
