DfT dismisses TSC’s call for greater transparency

In its response to Government on April 26 regarding the subject of franchises, the Transport Select Committee (TSC) recommended that the Department for Transport (DfT) publishes the business case for the decisions relating to major transactions, but Government disagreed.

In its response, the TSC highlighted the West Coast Partnership plans, stating “the decision to proceed with a combined franchise was informed by analysis of the strategic benefits and risks of the approach and an outline value-for-money and affordability assessment, including consideration of alternative delivery models.”

TSC added that: “the decision to proceed with the combined franchise also identified potential strategic risks that would need to be mitigated, including introducing a new interface in the HS2 project to make sure that the right skill sets needed to operate both ICWC services and develop and introduce HS2 services would be available in the same entity.

“The detailed design of the West Coast Partnership has sought to mitigate these risks as far as possible, such as, for example, with the requirement to demonstrate high-speed rail experience in the Expression of Interest documentation.” Concerns around risks of a fragmented approach to ICWC and HS2 design and delivery were also highlighted and considered.

TSC added: “As stated in the ICWC consultation document and the West Coast Partnership prospectus, we expect the WCP to be undertaking extensive engagement with users and stakeholders on future HS2 and re-shaped ICWC services to ensure they fully meet passenger and business needs in the future. In addition, the Secretary of State expects to consult as appropriate in relation to the West Coast Partnership in the future.”