The
Department
for
Transport’s
consultation
into
Great
British
Railways
closes
tonight,
and
FirstGroup
has
made
a
final
plea
for
open
access
services
to
continue.
First
will
lose
its
former
franchises
South
Western
Railway,
Great
Western
Railway
and
Avanti
West
Coast
under
the
government’s
renationalisation
plans,
with
South
Western
set
to
be
the
first
to
return
to
public
ownership
next
month.
First
also
owns
the
open
access
operators
Hull
Trains
and
Lumo,
and
has
acquired
the
licences
for
new
open
access
services
between
London
and
Carmarthen
and
also
between
London
and
Stirling.
There
are
further
applications
being
considered
by
the
Office
of
Rail
and
Road,
both
from
First
and
other
operators,
including
a
suite
of
new
services
which
Virgin
has
proposed
from
London
Euston
to
various
places
in
the
Midlands
and
North
West.
But
transport
secretary
Heidi
Alexander
sounded
a
cautionary
note
when
she
wrote
to
the
ORR
in
January
expressing
doubts
about
the
fairness
of
open
access
operators
who
gain
from
publicly-funded
railway
infrastructure
and
who
occupy
train
paths
in
congested
areas.
She
said
she
was
not
yet
amending
her
official
guidance
to
the
ORR,
but
that
changes
were
possible.
The
DfT
then
told
the
ORR
that
it
was
not
supporting
any
of
the
nine
outstanding
open
access
applications,
with
the
possible
exception
of
services
between
London
and
Wrexham
which
have
been
proposed
by
Alstom.
One
of
the
applications,
from
Alliance
Rail
for
a
route
between
Cardiff
and
Edinburgh,
has
since
been
withdrawn
while
Alliance
reconsiders
its
rolling
stock.plans.
The
Department
was
particularly
doubtful
by
the
Virgin
application,
saying
it
had
‘significant
concerns’.
If
Virgin’s
proposals
were
granted
in
full,
they
would
result
in
around
35
more
departures
a
day
from
Euston,
all
of
which
would
need
paths
on
the
already
overloaded
West
Coast
Main
Line
south
of
Rugby.
With
the
DfT’s
GBR
consultation
closing
at
one
minute
to
midnight
tonight,
First
has
argued
that
if
renationalisation
will
be
better
for
passengers,
then
the
government
must
not
prejudice
the
independent
status
of
the
ORR,
which
makes
the
final
decision
about
open
access
applications,
and
that
it
should
be
allowed
to
‘adjudicate
fairly
and
impartially’
and
make
‘fair,
transparent’
decisions.
First
Rail
managing
director
Steve
Montgomery
said:
‘Enhancing
rail
connections
is
critical
to
boosting
economic
growth
in
the
UK.
We
have
long
called
for
reform
of
the
railway
sector,
and
we
are
keen
to
see
new
arrangements
introduced
which
consider
the
customer
and
commercial
elements
of
rail,
alongside
measures
on
infrastructure.
‘Delivered
effectively,
reform
will
ensure
the
industry
can
grow
passenger
numbers,
generate
greater
revenues
and
develop
the
value
of
rail
in
a
customer
focused,
dynamic
and
efficient
environment.
To
do
so,
it
is
essential
the
Government
considers
the
need
for
appropriate
protections
and
controls
through
independent
regulation
of
GBR,
private
sector
investment
and
open
access
operations.
‘This
will
ensure
open
access
operators
can
deliver
customer
benefits
and
drive
modal
shift,
while
playing
a
role
in
ensuring
the
wider
railway
offers
best
value
for
the
taxpayer.
‘Across
Europe,
we
see
private
sector
operators
co-existing
with
state-owned
services.
Such
competition
is
healthy,
necessary
and
in
the
interests
of
passengers.
It
is
proven
to
grow
the
overall
rail
market,
and
it
is
vital
the
GBR
model
allows
for
the
same
in
the
UK.’
*You
can
hear
Steve
Montgomery
discuss
open
access
in
the
latest
Railnews
podcast.
Listen
here
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