HS2

ORR quotes £26m in charges per year to continue using HS1

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has today announced if train operators want to keep using High Speed 1 (HS1) and preserve the condition of the assets, they will pay £26m per year.

HS1 operates 67 miles of high-speed track connecting London with the Channel Tunnel, but if it wants to keep the good condition of the fleet and railways, a proposed £26m will need to be paid per year.

Analysis carried out by ORR, as part of its five-year review, determined that future costs will be higher as the asset gets older and requires more work.

However, the figure is £9m per year less than HS1 initially requested, but ORR have chosen to go for the lower figure of £26m per year to ensure lower rise in chargers to operators for using the route and say the figure is ‘sufficient’.

The Draft Determination proposal will go out to public consultation until November 11 and final determination of the bill for the next year years will be announced in January.

HS1 Ltd, who have an agreement to operate HS1 trains until 31 December 2040, have made a number or proposals and ORR are said to have accepted the majority, with recommendations on how they should manage the assets. These include how to improve supply chain efficiency and improving its approach to research and development.

During the public consultation, stakeholders will be asked on their opinions regarding the recommended considerations.

John Larkinson, ORR chief executive, said: "High Speed 1 is a valuable public asset and our role is to provide independent assurance that High Speed 1’s assets can be kept in good condition over the long term at the lowest possible cost.

“This is important to make sure that operators and, in turn, passengers and freight users get a good deal now but not at the expense of future generations.