§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they are taking to ensure that, when it becomes clear that a railway franchise is not to be renewed, a full, punctual, safe, clean, hygienic and reliable train service is provided and that the 68WA wellbeing of passengers and staff is protected until a new operating company takes over active management. [HL4264]
§ Lord Macdonald of TradestonFranchise agreements are legal contracts that place requirements upon franchise operators, including in relation to service provision, performance regimes, station standards and customer satisfaction. Failure to comply may make the operator concerned eligible for penalties or put them in breach of contract. If they are in breach of contract it will be open to the Franchising Director to seek the usual remedies of law.
Should the train operator concerned be bidding for other franchises in the replacement process, the Franchising Director will also be able to take any breach of contract into account when evaluating any proposals that they may make.