Train Operating Company Contracts

Lord Goddard of Stockport Excerpts

Monday 25th March 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Snape (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Lord Goddard of Stockport (LD)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, we will hear from the Liberal Democrats and then the Conservative Benches.

[Lord Goddard of Stockport (LD)]

From this side, we might rename the noble Baroness, Lady Randerson, Baroness Mystic Meg. We are talking about contracts and railways, and, out of the hat, two days ago, Avanti has now decided to pay overtime premiums of £600 a day for drivers. Clearly, this is a last desperate act of the Government and Avanti trains to keep the contract. Last week, Transport for the North—chaired by a Conservative Peer—unanimously agreed with Burnham and Rotheram, the mayors from the north, that that contract should be taken away. This is clearly unacceptable. We talk about the NHS, care workers, firefighters and the police, and, as a last desperate act, Avanti is offering £600 a shift for driving a train at weekends—it is absolutely scandalous.

[Lord Davies of Gower (Con)]

I can only repeat what I have said before in the House to noble Lords. The decision to award a contract to First Trenitalia was contingent on the operator continuing to win back the confidence of passengers. The Minister with responsibility for rail and officials regularly meet with FirstGroup and Avanti senior management to understand the challenges and to hold them to account for issues within their control. However, I hear what the noble Lord says.