Track access rights on the West Coast Main Line

Both the existing Virgin West Coast franchise and the associated track access contract held by West Coast Trains Limited expire on 1 April 2012. In the run up to that date we expect to receive a number of applications for either new or additional access rights, including one from the Department for Transport for the new franchise.
 
We therefore wrote to the industry on 14 May 2010, seeking to identify all operators’ aspirations, both passenger and freight, for new or amended access rights on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) and to set out the process and timescales involved. Responses were requested by Friday 11 June 2010.
 
We subsequently wrote to Network Rail on 30 June 2010, requesting that it produce a capacity and performance report analysing the various aspirations for access to the WCML against the available capacity and taking account of any safety considerations, by Friday 1 October 2010.
 
Based on the lessons learned from similar exercises we have carried out in the recent past, where publishing information in stages led to confusion and misunderstandings, we have decided not to published any of the responses received at this stage of the process. Rather we will wait until after the completion of the process and publish all relevant documentation at the same time as we publish our decision.
 
Any enquiries should be directed to:
 
Dave Wearing
Track Access Executive
Office of Rail Regulation
One Kemble Street
London
WC2B 4AN
 
Email: david.wearing@orr.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 0207 282 2126 

Last updated: 6 September 2010

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