Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) rail consultation

[whole diary]

[didcotdean]

The CMA invites responses on 4 options for possible reform:

Option 1 ^ retaining the existing market structure, but with significantly increased open access operations
Option 2 ^ two franchisees for each franchise
Option 3 ^ more overlapping franchises
Option 4 ^ licensing multiple operators, subject to conditions (including public service obligations)
The CMA considers that these options are most likely to deliver benefits on the 3 main intercity routes in Great Britain ^ namely the East and West Coast main lines and the Great Western route linking London with South West England and South Wales.

This is a project for the long term. The CMA would not envisage these proposals being implemented until 2023 at the earliest, so as to protect the rights of current franchisees and current and imminent franchise tender processes. By that time, there is also a prospect of more capacity becoming available as a result of various factors, including new signalling technology. That time frame would allow policymakers, if they are minded to explore any of these options, sufficient scope to plan implementation.

The CMA invites interested parties to respond to the consultation in writing to rail@cma.gsi.gov.uk by no later than Friday 16 October 2015. The CMA will undertake further work in light of responses to the consultation before deciding which option to recommend in its final report.

Evidence documents here.

[ChrisB]

Assuming the Government st the time agrees with the CMAs findings, of course!

[didcotdean]

Hence it making recommendations, rather than decisions.

[ChrisB]

"The CMA would not envisage these proposals being implemented until 2023 at the earliest"

But they're suggesting any recommendations would become reality - I can't possibly see how they can make tis statement as who knows the political mak-up then?

[didcotdean]

The CMA^s statutory duty is to promote competition for the benefit of consumers. So if it didn't run this kind of project it wouldn't be doing its remit. It is also supposed to 'challenge Government where Government is creating barriers to
competition^.

The discussion document has a reasonable amount of detail, whether you agree with their drift or not such as their base premise that the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) to South Wales has 'fewer capacity constraints than commuter routes'.

[JayMac]

"The CMA would not envisage these proposals being implemented until 2023 at the earliest"

But they're suggesting any recommendations would become reality - I can't possibly see how they can make tis statement as who knows the political mak-up then?

Envisage verb:
Contemplate or conceive of as a possibility or a desirable future event.

So they are not suggesting any recommendations would become reality. A careful and well chosen word is envisage. 

[ChrisB]

That refers to the implementation date, not the proposals.

However, they do defer to the policy makers decision further down

[ChrisB]

AFAI can see, there is no mention in their evidence report of the total lack of spare rolling stock, the supply of which affects all 4 options. Rather a big omission, methinks.

[TaplowGreen]

AFAI can see, there is no mention in their evidence report of the total lack of spare rolling stock, the supply of which affects all 4 options. Rather a big omission, methinks.

..........but if we're talking 2023 at the earliest, surely that gives ample time for more procurement?

[ChrisB]

by whom?