26/02/2013

MPs Criticise West Coast Main Line Franchise

The Department for Transport's handling of the West Coast Main Line franchise deal, which will cost taxpayers "£50m at the very least", has been described as a “complete lack of sense”.

As the Public Accounts Committee accused the department of making "fundamental errors" and failing to learn from "previous disasters", they warned that the cost might be "very much larger".

, Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who chairs the committee, said: "If you factor in the cost of delays to investment on the line, and the potential knock-on effect on other franchise competitions, then the final cost to the taxpayer will be very much larger."

(H)


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