The
Government


has
rejected
a
call
from
the
Board
of
Transport
for
the
North
to
end
the
Avanti
West
Coast
contract,
which
is
owned
by
FirstGroup
and
Trenitalia.
The
two
companies
were
granted
a
National
Rail
Contract
for
AWC
which
started
last
October
and
could
run
until
2032
after
two
periods
of
‘probation’
to
allow
performance
problems
to
be
resolved.

The
TfN
Board
has
protested
about
the
continuing
high
level
of
cancellations,
and
voted
yesterday
at
its
meeting
in
Leeds
to
write
to
transport
secretary
Mark
Harper,
calling
for
AWC
to
be
transferred
to
the
Department
for
Transport’s
Operator
of
Last
Resort
as
soon
as
possible.

During
Transport
Questions
in
the
House
of
Commons
today,
Labour’s
shadow
rail
minister
Stephen
Morgan
asked:
‘It’s
a
simple
question
to
the
Minister
today.
Will
he
strip
Avanti
of
its
contract:
Yes
or
No?’
Rail
minister
Huw
Merriman
replied:
‘No
Mr
Speaker,
we
will
not.’ 

Mr
Morgan’s
colleague,
shadow
transport
secretary
Louise
Haigh,
said:
‘There
has
been
nothing
more
emblematic
of
the
managed
decline
of
Britain’s
railways
than
Avanti
West
Coast
being
awarded
a
nine-year
contract
extension
despite
failing
passengers
again
and
again.

‘Labour
has
long
been
clear
that
if
Avanti
is
in
breach
of
its
contractual
obligations,
then
it
should
be
stripped
of
that
contract.
Ministers
need
to
explain
whether
this
is
the
case
and
why
they
are
refusing
to
act.

‘Under
the
Conservatives,
failing
operators
are
rewarded
with
contract
extensions
and
second
chances.

‘With
Labour,
rail
franchises
will
be
brought
back
into
public
ownership
as
contracts
expire
or
are
broken.’