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21 Sep 20
The government has pre-empted the publication of its independent review of rail transport by announcing the end of rail franchising after almost 25 years.
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29 May 18
The East Coast rail saga raised questions about rail franchising. Christian Wolmar asks what sort of railway model would put the system back on track?
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1 May 18
The Department for Transport’s rail franchising model is “broken”, the Public Accounts Committee concluded in a report looking at two major franchises.
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10 Jan 18
The Department for Transport failed to secure value for money from the country’s largest rail franchise, the National Audit Office has found.
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6 Feb 17
MPs have called for significant reforms to the rail franchising system including how contracts are managed, following high-profile disputes on the Southern network.
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26 Sep 16
Labour’s shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald has accused the government of clinging to a failed privatisation model for running the rail network and pledged to take services into public...
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16 Aug 16
Regulated rail fares are to rise by 1.9% from January following publication of July’s inflation figures.
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21 Jan 16
Transport for London is set to take over rail services in the capital from four private sector franchise operators under a plan agreed with government ministers.
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24 Nov 15
The Department for Transport has improved its management of rail franchises following the collapse of West Coast intercity deal in 2012, but new risks are emerging due to delays and the rising costs...
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19 Oct 15
A leading rail operator has called for the current franchise system to be scrapped on some lines and replaced with licensing regime that could raise money for taxpayers.
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29 Sep 15
Labour plans to accelerate the nationalisation of rail services by using break clauses in franchises to take operations into public ownership rather than waiting until the contracts expire.
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16 Sep 15
The Treasury is to receive £150m in premium payments under a 29-month extension of the East Midlands Trains rail franchise announced today.