RailNews.co.uk News Update. 21st January 2012

RailNews.co.uk

• Report confirms benefits of HS2 for West Coast line            Passengers on the West Coast Main Line, one of the busiest rail routes in Europe, could benefit from faster, more frequent trains, less crowding and better connections if the first phase of the proposed High Speed line between London and Birmingham goes ahead as planned, according to a new report from Network Rail and watchdog Passenger Focus.
• New 'flexible' West Coast franchise unveiled by DfT      The Department for Transport has issued the Invitation to Tender for the next West Coast franchise, which is due to start in December. Rail minister Theresa Villiers said the contract, which is to run until 2026 at least, would be 'more flexible', and include another 28,000 seats.
• Government comes clean about fare rises in store          The government has confirmed that rail fare rises at the start of 2013 and 2014 are to stay at RPI+3 per cent. The rise at the start of this month was kept to RPI+1 per cent, after a policy u-turn announced by the Chancellor at the end of November, but nothing was said at the time about what would happen in future years.