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Rail line to be private in 2011

The East Coast Main Line, which runs services in the region, will pass back into private hands in November 2011.

A public sector company - East Coast - took over the key London to Scotland rail route from cash-strapped franchisee National Express earlier this month.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said the Department for Transport will be consulting on the new East Coast franchise specification in spring 2010.

It is expected that interested parties will be invited to bid for the franchise next autumn, with the successful bidder being announced in summer 2011 and the new franchise beginning in November 2011.

Rail unions have urged the Government to keep the East Coast line in the public sector, but the Government has always maintained it plans to have the line privately operated again.

Lord Adonis also announced the timetable for the bidding process for the Essex Thameside franchise, run by National Express as c2c, which is due to expire in May 2011.

He said companies would be invited to tender in summer 2010, with the successful bidder announced in early 2011 and the new franchising starting in May 2011.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .