12.05.16
Additional ECML services will have ‘significant impact’ on Grand Central
Grand Central’s managing director has cautioned that the ORR’s decision to approve new Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) and First Group services on the East Coast Main Line is likely to have a “significant impact” on its work.
Following today’s announcement by the regulator, Richard McClean said that Grand Central had already spent years developing the East Coast market “at its own risk” as an open access operator.
The ORR said it had made its decision to approve new services having carried out extensive consultation and analysis on the competing applications, which were submitted to the regulator last year. It means that VTEC will be able to run new services between London and Edinburgh, Harrogate, Lincoln and Middlesbrough.
Additionally, FirstGroup has been granted approval to launch open access rail services between London, north east England and Edinburgh. The 10-year track access rights will enable the group's East Coast Trains Limited to begin operating five trains a day each way from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh, via intermediate stations at Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth, by 2021.
McClean, who RTM interviewed about taking a unified approach to its rolling stock, said: “While it is encouraging that it has been recognised that the communities that Grand Central serve deserve an increased share of the capacity available on the route, it is also clear from the ORR’s own assessment that that the new services are likely to have a significant impact on Grand Central’s business when they start operating in 2021 and this is something we will consider carefully.”
(Image c. Maarten Otto)
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