The latest dispute has threatened to derail the timescale for agreeing time-table changes on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) by early next year, and comes two weeks after The Herald’s revelation that direct King’s Cross-
Glasgow services were due to be axed from December 2010, sparking an outcry by the SNP.
In a formal submission to the Office of Rail Regulation earlier this month,
government agency Transport Scotland complained that its aspirations to reduce Edinburgh-to-London journey times had been compromised in favour of local services in the south of England.
The letter from Jonathan Pugh, head of rail regulation at Transport Scotland, which was written on November 2, claims the proposed timetable is “economically inefficient and wholly unsatisfactory”.
He adds: “From the information available it would appear that First Capital Connect local trains originating at Peterborough have still been given priority over time-critical and heavily-loaded Anglo-Scottish trains. If this is the case we believe this to be economically inefficient and wholly unsatisfactory.”
Mr Pugh also alleges that the impact on ScotRail services of altering the timetable for London to Scotland trains has not been properly thought through, and that no operator has been identified to take over the Glasgow-to-Edinburgh leg of the journey. “It is not acceptable that this should be a bolt-on to the London-Edinburgh service, as the impacts on ScotRail services will be central to its deliverability,” he added.
The issue is a sensitive one for the Department for Transport (DfT), which has been forced to nationalise the main cross-border service temporarily on the line after the previous franchise holder, National Express, defaulted amid a revenue crisis sparked by declining passenger growth. The government took over operations earlier this month.
While Transport Scotland has the authority over awarding the franchise to run ScotRail services in Scotland, cross-border services on the east and west coast main lines are the preserve of the DfT.
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis insisted earlier this month that he had not been involved in discussions over the new timetable. However, a formal response by the DfT confirms that his department has been supportive of the changes.
A spokesman for East Coast said the company was “re-examining” proposals for track access rights on the line, which are due to be agreed by January 8. Passenger Focus, the statutory rail watchdog, has also raised a number of concerns over the proposed timetable and is currently pressing the DfT for assurances that it will be subject to a full public consultation.
A spokesman for the watchdog said: “We are concerned that so far the industry has undertaken no consultation to understand passengers’ views about the most significant change to service patterns on the ECML for a generation. These timescales appear to be incompatible with meaningful consultation with either passengers or stakeholders, let alone amending the draft in the light of any issues raised.”
Though the actual time-tabling is conducted by Network Rail, it is guided by the DfT and Transport Scotland and requires approval of the regulator in the event of any dispute.
A spokesman for the regulator added: “We are in discussion with Network Rail on the detail of the route and expect to reach agreement in the near future. ”
Meanwhile, a DfT spokesman said: “Any changes are a matter for the train operating company after public consultation and approval.”
