Many people have concerns about the future of Island Line Trains. It’s a vital link that many residents and visitors use for getting around the Island. They say there’s a danger that it might be left without proper funding and protection.
As has been reported here before, the Isle of Wight council are currently considering whether they should take direct control of Island Line through a Community Operated Railway once the current franchise comes to an end.
No agreement with Government
The Guardian is today reporting that Stagecoach have failed to reach an agreement with the Government over the renewal of their South West Trains franchise.
This is significant because although the Island Line franchise comes to an end in 2017, Stagecoach were in negotiations to extend the service until 2019.
This leaves very little time for the Isle of Wight to influence the Government and ensure that Island Line is included within the South Western franchise.
Legal duty to provide a service
As we’ve heard before, Island Line does run at a loss, but by being part of the Rail Network, it means there’s a legal duty for the service to be provided. That duty would be removed if the train line became community operated, putting the long-term future of the service at risk.
A spokesperson for Stagecoach said:
“Despite extensive negotiations, a significant difference has remained between both parties regarding the financial evaluation of the proposals. As a result, South West Trains has been unable to reach an agreement on a direct award.”
The Island needs to act fast
According to the revised rail franchise schedule (see embedded below), the OJEU notice (the journal where official tenders are published) for the new franchise will be issued in November 2015.
It’s something OnTheWight plan to look at in a lot more detail over the coming weeks.
Image: tompagenet
under CC BY 2.0
