The Department for Transport has said that it ‘seeks to obtain a Direct Award for up to 10 years’ of the West Coast Partnership.

The contract for West Coast Partnership Rail Services is currently operated by First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Ltd.

The Department for Transport hopes to start the new contract on the 1st April 2022, with the contract lasting for up to 10 years.

The document released details of envisaged services, including:

• London Euston to Lichfield Trent Valley, Crewe, Preston and Glasgow Central;
• Lichfield Trent Valley to Macclesfield and Manchester Piccadilly;
• Crewe to Wilmslow and Manchester Piccadilly;
• Crewe to Chester, Wrexham General and Holyhead;
• Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street;
• Preston to Blackpool North;
• Carlisle to Edinburgh;
• London Euston to Coventry, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury;
• Wolverhampton to Stafford; and
• Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe and Glasgow or Edinburgh.

The Department for Transport already has, through the Operator of Last Resort, the Northern and London North Eastern Railway franchise.

We have approached Avanti West Coast for comment on this, and await their reply.