§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what rights of appeal exist when a rolling stock company or Railtrack imposes large increases on rail operators. [41002]
§ Mr. WattsInitial leases for vehicle fleets, agreed between the passenger rolling stock companies and the train operators, are in place and are at a fixed price. Renewals will be negotiated between the parties in a competitive market.
Access contracts between Railtrack and train operators are approved by the Rail Regulator. The operators can appeal to the regulator if they consider that the charges proposed by Railtrack are unreasonable.