DfT delivers better value from franchising

摘要

In its report on the letting of franchises by DfT in the period from 2005 to 2007, published on October 15, the National Audit Office broadly supports the franchising strategy adopted since the abolition of the Strategic Rail Authority.rnNAO's main concern is that 'the eight new franchises let since 2005 face severe capacity pressures on a number of routes, with increasing levels of overcrowding on peak commuter services notably into London, the principal destination for six of these franchises'. However, this pressure should be relieved as the 1 300 extra cars promised by DfT for CP4 come into service, so long as parallel infrastructure works such as platform lengthening are carried out.rnDespite the experience under SRA between 1998 and 2004, when the total annual subsidy paid to TOCs was supposed to reduce from ￡1-8bn to about ￡105bn but actually rebounded after 2001 from just over ￡1.3bn to hit ￡2bn in 2004, NA0 generally approves of the subsidy/premium profiles agreed for the eight franchises let by DfT.