TOCs spend over £3.3bn per year leasing and maintaining rolling stock, while up to 20% of the GB fleet can be unavailable for passenger services.

Britain’s rail passengers and taxpayers deserve better value from the rolling stock maintenance market.

TOCs spend over £3.3 billion per year to lease and maintain trains — yet up to 20% of the GB fleet can be unavailable for passenger services at any given time.

In this letter to the ORR, ALLRAIL calls for a proper market analysis, greater transparency, open re-tendering or independent benchmarking of maintenance contracts, and fair access for third-party maintainers and SMEs.

As more operators come under public ownership through GBR, the UK cannot afford an opaque maintenance market built around direct awards and limited competition.

Read our full letter to the ORR here