Hull Trains has been running open access services on the East Coast Main Line since September 2000. It has a fleet of five five-car Class 802 bi-mode sets. No. 802303 is pictured crossing the swing bridge at Selby on May 24 with the 15.08 Hull-Kings Cross. See also the photo of this bridge in 1967 on page 37.
ROBIN STEWART-SMITH
THE benefit of expanding open access services has been quantified in a report by Rail Partners, the trade association representing the independent passenger owning companies.
The report called Track to Growth: Creating a dynamic railway for passengers and the economy, identified that public control of the franchised operators that now hold National Rail Contracts is far greater than when British Rail had a free hand to determine the pattern of services and products available, and that open access operations could restore that market focus.
There is a conclusion that the current micro-management of contracts does not allow operators to respond to market needs, which is typified by the early withdrawal of a number of rolling stock types that is likely to led to insufficient capacity, particularly on routes operated by CrossCountry during the current holiday period.