RAIL UNION RMT revealed today that National Express, the company that threw back the keys as their contract on the East Coast Mainline collapsed into chaos four years ago, have been cleared to bid for the route again as the Government speed up plans to reprivatise the service that is currently being successfully run in the public sector.

In a Commons answer to RMT Parliamentary Group member Jeremy Corbyn, transport minister Simon Burns confirms that “National Express and its subsidiaries are permitted to submit for the pre-qualification process (PQQ) to run passenger rail services in all franchise competitions including the East Coast Mail Line.”

Today – 5th June – Labour MP Andy MacDonald has secured an adjournment debate in the Commons as part of the campaign to force the retention of the East Coast Mainline in public ownership.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“Despite throwing back the keys and abandoning the major transport artery up the East Coast in total chaos only four years ago, National Express have now been given the green light to bid for the route again as the Government are hell-bent on re-privatisation before the next election.

“The East Coast in public ownership is currently plowing hundreds of millions of pounds back into the exchequer as opposed to robbing the taxpayer blind in the name of profit as the private companies have been doing on our railways for a generation.

“The news that National Express are back in with a spin of the roulette wheel on the East Coast, if they so choose, shows once again the madness of casino franchising and reinforces the case for public ownership of the entire rail network.”