GNWR

[knutstransport]

RE: GNWR

(16/01/2020 07:13)wirralbus Wrote:  Just a question for consumption , is open access operation just a cherry picking exercise that just takes revenue from the franchised operator.

Lets not forget than two franchises have gone belly up on the east coast , wouldnt like to see that on the west coast.

Open track access applications have to pass a revenue generation and subtraction test. If a TOC applied to run Blackpool to London with calls at Preston, Wigan, Warrington and Rugby it would fail as that's a copy of what a franchise operator provides. It seems Blackpool to London with calls at Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Preston, Kirkham & Wesham and Poulton-le-Fylde passes the test.

It's worth remembering the Crewe to Euston LNR service was effectively an open access service when it started under LM & Silverlink. LM also tried to start a Birmingham to Preston semi-fast but it only ended up being one service per day, not the hourly they were trying to run and that finished up getting withdrawn.

Also North Western Trains ran open access Rochdale to London and Manchester Airport to London services.