Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 26 October 2023 to Question 204030 on Avanti West Coast: Contracts, what the (a) time constraints and (b) market conditions were that meant open competition for the contract was considered unviable.

A competition for a contract of this nature can take 2 to 3 years once a contract and procurement process has been agreed.

When emergency agreements ended there was significant market instability arising from the ongoing impacts of covid and industrial action, meaning a competitive tender was unlikely to deliver value for money. When options for West Coast Partnership’s latest contract were considered, these factors informed the decision to make a direct award rather than compete.