East Coast Main Line capacity assessment and competing applications

On this page: 

• Further correspondence on ECML
• Capacity assessment
• Progress update
• Further capacity report
• Proposed decision 29/01/09
• Note ORR & DfT of meeting 24/02/09
• ORR's final decision 27/02/09
• Post decision progress
• Responses to ORR's letter 19/10/09
• Further progress
• Directions/approval
• Post directions

East Coast Main Line Capacity Assessment and competing applications

On 29 February 2008, ORR published a letter to the industry in order to identify train operators' aspirations for additional rights on the East Coast Main Line. This letter, and the responses received, appear below.

Subsequently, a number of operators submitted track access applications, details of which appear under Current applications, Sections 17/18 or Sections 22/22A.

Whilst the total available capacity was uncertain, it was clear that there was insufficient capacity to accommodate the rights sought by all the operators, so ORR initiated two work streams - a capacity and performance assessment by Network Rail, and an economic assessment of the competing applications by ORR. Letters from ORR setting out the ongoing process, various reports, stakeholders' comments and decision documentation also appear below.

29 Feb 2008	ORR's letter to the industry
Industry responses
4 Mar 2008	Merseytravel
6 Mar 2008	D P World
20 Mar 2008	Hull Trains
25 Mar 2008	First GB Railfreight
26 Mar 2008	Freightliner
27 Mar 2008	XC Trains - Summary XC Trains - Timetable
27 Mar 2008	Eurostar (UK) Limited
28 Mar 2008	Department for Transport
28 Mar 2008	Direct Rail Services
28 Mar 2008	EWS
28 Mar 2008	First/Keolis TransPennine - Summary First/Keolis TransPennine - PDNS First/Keolis TransPennine - Timetable
28 Mar 2008	Grand Union Railway Co Ltd
28 Mar 2008	Hutchinson Ports
28 Mar 2008	National Express East Coast - Letter National Express East Coast - Timetable
1 Apr 2008	PD Teesport
1 Apr 2008	First Capital Connect
4 Apr 2008	Northern Rail
4 Apr 2008	Transport Scotland
25 Apr 2008	Nil returns
28 Jul 2008	DP World
Further correspondence
27 June 2008	Department for Transport
16 July 2008	ORR letter to stakeholders
8 August 2008	ORR further letter to stakeholders
8 August 2008	Alconbury initial response
19 August 2008	ORR letter outlining approach to applications
26 August 2008	Freightliner letter to Network Rail
29 August 2008	ORR letter to Alconbury
2 September 2008	EWS letter to Network Rail
3 September 2008	First Group response
5 September 2008	Transport Scotland response
5 September 2008	Alconbury further letter
3 October 2008	National Express East Coast
10 October 2008	Grand Union response
23 October 2008	Metro/SYPTE/Yorkshire Forward response
3 November 2008	Hull Trains comments
17 December 2008	Further Metro/SYPTE/Yorkshire Forward response
23 December 2008	Grand Union further response
Capacity report
26 September 2008	Network Rail's capacity report
23 September 2008	Platinum Trains response
7 October 2008	Alconbury response
6 October 2008	Department for Transport response
7 October 2008	East Midlands Trains response
6 October 2008	EWS response
6 October 2008	First Capital Connect response
6 October 2008	First/Keolis TransPennine Express
2 October 2008	Freightliner response
6 October 2008	Grand Union response
6 October 2008	Hull Trains response
6 October 2008	London TravelWatch response
6 October 2008	National Express East Coast response
7 October 2008	Northern Rail response
6 October 2008	Passenger Focus response
6 October 2008	Transport Scotland response
13 October 2008	Hutchinson Ports response
14 October 2008	Nexus response
Progress update
23 October 2008	ORR letter on progress
30 October 2008	ORR letter - remit for further work
25 November 2008	Passenger track access applications under consideration
2 December 2008	ORR letter on hearing
18 December 2008	Response by Network Rail to letter from ORR
24 December 2008	ORR letter on progress
Further capacity report
18 December 2008	Network Rail report
23 December 2008	CrossCountry response
2 January 2009	Freightliner response (redacted)
5 January 2009	Comments from East Midlands Trains
8 January 2009	DB Schenker response (formerly EWS)
12 January 2009	Department for Transport response
12 January 2009	First ScotRail response
12 January 2009	Grand Union response
12 January 2009	HPUK response
12 January 2009	London TravelWatch response
13 January 2009	TransPennine Express response
13 January 2009	First Capital Connect response
13 January 2009	Transport Scotland response
14 January 2009	National Express response
14 January 2009	Passenger Focus response
20 January 2009	Northern Rail response
26 January 2009	Grand Union further response
ORR's proposed decision
29 January 2009	ORR’s proposed decision on the key aspects of a series of applications for track access rights for passenger services on the East Coast Main Line
29 January 2009	Making Better Decisions - Assessment of Alternative Track Access Applications on the East Coast Mainline - MVA Consultancy
2 February 2009	London TravelWatch response
10 February 2009	DB Schenker response
6 February 2009	Transport Scotland response
11 February 2009	Grand Union response
12 February 2009	Passenger Focus response
12 February 2009	National Express response
16 February 2009	Department for Transport response
18 February 2009	Grand Union further response
12 February 2009	Hull Trains response (redacted)
20 February 2009	CrossCountry response
24 February 2009	Further Hull Trains response
24 February 2009	Note of meeting between ORR and the Department for Transport
25 February 2009	Further Grand Union response
ORR's decision
27 February 2009	Final decision on a series of applications for track access rights for passenger services on the east coast main line

Post decision progress
3 July 2009	Network Rail's ECML Standard Pattern Timetable Options document
24 July 2009	Network Rail letter to the industry
6 August 2009	Letter from ORR to Network Rail
26 August 2009	Letter from Network Rail to ORR
27 August 2009	Letter from ORR to Network Rail
16 October 2009	Network Rail's SCL2 timetable
19 October 2009	Status of Network Rail's SLC2 timetable
19 October 2009	Letter from ORR to the industry
Responses to ORR's letter
21 October 2009	Hutchison Ports (UK)
21 October 2009	Rail Freight Group
23 October 2009	London TravelWatch
29 October 2009	Nexus
30 October 2009	DB Schenker Rail
31 October 2009	First GBRf
2 November 2009	Department for Transport
2 November 2009	East Midlands Trains
2 November 2009	Freightliner Group
2 November 2009	Grand Central
2 November 2009	Great North Eastern Railway
2 November 2009	NXEC Trains
2 November 2009	Transport Scotland
2 November 2009	XC Trains
3 November 2009	Passenger Focus
3 November 2009	TransPennine Express
4 November 2009	First Capital Connect
5 November 2009	West Yorkshire PTE (Metro)
Further progress
25 November 2009	Letter from ORR to the industry
18 December 2009	Network Rail's SCL2 timetable
23 December 2009	Status of Network Rail's SLC2 timetable
23 December 2009	Letter from ORR to the industry
Directions/approval
11 February 2010	Directions in respect of three applications and approval in respect of a fourth
Post directions
1 July 2010	Letter from ORR to the industry about East Coast Train's recently announced plans not to run the majority of its proposed new services to Lincoln
11 August 2010	Letter from ORR to the industry

Last updated: 12 August 2010