26.02.10
ATOC renews calls for longer franchise agreements
The Association of Train Operating Companies has again called for the government to lengthen franchise agreements, so that private companies can invest in station refurbishment.
The Association has said that longer franchises would allow train operating companies to invest in long term projects to improve stations throughout Britain.
Tom Smith, chairman of ATOC, said: “With a handful of honourable exceptions, stations have been at the neglected end of railway funding priorities. It is welcome that the question of how much money we should spend on our stations is rising up the political agenda.
“The current arrangements as to who owns and manages stations are too complex and leave train companies with little or no incentive or opportunity to invest. Targeted reform that gives train companies a greater stake in stations would bring in much more private funding and encourage operators to take a longer term approach.
“We need to move to a situation where train companies become responsible for the whole station and its upkeep. As private sector operators we have a real incentive to respond to passengers’ needs and would be able to do the job more efficiently than it is done at the moment.
“With longer franchises, train companies could finance greater investment and would be able to undertake more significant changes – even demolishing and rebuilding older stations.
“I am also proposing today that we should treat stations as a long-term, national asset, and set up a sinking fund, making a source of money available to maintain them in a consistent and regular way. Just as the National Trust has protected and improved so many historic buildings – so too the creation of a National Stations Trust would carry out a similar role.”
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