Control of Britain's railways should not be handed to "Dick Turpin" train operators, MPs were told in a debate responding to an online ePetition.
Labour MP Rosie Cooper, leading a backbench debate in Westminster Hall, said taxpayers should not be "held to ransom" by private companies who fail to follow through on their promises.
To some protest from MPs, Ms Cooper said she felt there were a number of Dick Turpin-style operators in the rail market, invoking the famous 18th-century highway robber.
The debate follows the launching of legal action by Virgin Trains, which claims the Department for Transport made a faulty decision in accepting a bid from First Group to run the West Coast Main Line for 15 years.
Virgin chief Sir Richard Branson called the decision "insane" and claimed First Group's numbers do not add up and will lead to losses for taxpayers.
The debate was scheduled by the backbench business committee after 170,000 people signed an ePetition backing Virgin's position.
Ms Cooper said: "Personally I don't care much about the name of the company that provides the service.
"My priority is to make sure the final decision is the best deal for fare payers and taxpayers. Recent franchise experiences have shown the highest bids, the riskiest bids, are not necessarily sustainable. The Government had even in this case admitted the successful bid for the West Coast Main Line is the riskiest bid."
But Iain Stewart, a member of the transport select committee, said he believed First Group's ambitions were "genuine", adding: "I don't believe First Group would be making this bid if it did not believe it could deliver on it."
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