The council must make it clear that any new East Coast franchisee should have its HQ in York. That's the message from Labour leader Coun. David Scott as the council prepares to give its response to a DFT consultation on how the next East Coast franchise is formulated.

Coun. Scott said:

"The HQ must be retained in York, of that there is no doubt. Those railway jobs have been a critical part of the local economy for many years and the fact that National Express bosses messed things up should not impact upon these dedicated, hard-working staff.

"The importance of good travel links to and from York are critical to the success of the local economy, be that for business or for leisure. The tourism sector is clearly something we rely upon for employment so the longer term stability of this franchise in a factor in its success.
"We were pleased to see the idea of barriers in the station knocked on the head when the line came under state ownership, and we believe this should be a condition of any successful franchise bid. Investment in the facilities and the offer to the passenger yes, but blocking access to the platforms and the interest in an historic building, no.

"And last but by no means least, the successful company taking on this franchise needs to be one of vision and action, one that can move the service to passengers forward so that passengers feel they get excellent service and value for money. That also means working with partners that can help to deliver that vision, such as local councils such as our own".

The council response to the franchise consultation process will be agreed at a decision-session on 6th April at the Guildhall.