Partner Article

Rail franchise to come under public control

One of the UK’s biggest rail franchises will come under public control next week, a month earlier than originally expected.

The London-to-Edinburgh East Coast Main Line will transfer to a Government-controlled company at one minute before midnight on Friday 13 November.

Private sector operator National Express has given up the loss-making franchise after paying too much to run services on the line in 2007.

Transport minister Lord Adonis said: “I can assure the travelling public that services will continue without disruption and all tickets will be honoured.”

Lord Adonis issued a formal termination notice to the company last night. The franchise will transfer to a new operator, Directly Operated Railways, trading as East Coast.

Staff currently employed by National Express East Coast will transfer to the new operator, with services likely to remain in public hands until 2011.

A presentation made to union leaders earlier this week gave a date of December 12 for taking the franchise back into public ownership.

Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport union, said: “While we welcome the news that the Government have brought forward the date, there is no doubt that the service has been plunged into a period of crisis management by National Express, effectively throwing the keys back at ministers to suit their agenda.

“We will be meeting ministers to demand that this renationalisation is made permanent rather than an expensive short-term fix.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .