Ashurst and Addleshaws On Board as DfT Railway Contracts Crisis Deepens
A consortium made up of Virgin Trains, Stagecoach and French operater SNCF are launching legal action against the Department for Transport over contracts.
May 29, 2019 at 04:16 AM
2 minute read
Ashurst and Addleshaw Goddard have picked up mandates on a railway contract dispute plaguing the Department for Transport (DfT), after a consortium made up of Virgin Trains, Stagecoach and French operator SNCF launched fresh legal action last week (May 24).
The consortium, West Coast Trains Partnership, is vying to overturn a decision that disqualified it from bidding to operate the west coast railway franchise.
The franchise connects the Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester and London routes and will eventually cover the High Speed 2 train service.
In a statement made in April regarding its disqualification from the bidding process, a spokesperson for Virgin Trains said the company was "very disappointed by the DfT's unexpected decision". A spokesperson for the company declined to comment on the latest action.
Ashurst is advising West Coast Trains Partnership, with the firm's team led by projects partner Naomi Horton and including competition partner Euan Burrows and disputes partner Tom Duncan.
Addleshaws is advising the DfT on the claim, according to one person with knowledge of the situation.
Herbert Smith Freehills is acting for Stagecoach in separate proceedings against the Secretary of State, Chris Grayling, and the DfT over its disbarment from the tender process to run the east Midlands railway franchise due to rail staff pension issues. Eversheds Sutherland, meanwhile, is advising the DfT on that claim.
The east Midlands contract was eventually awarded to Dutch government-owned operator Abellio, which is due to start its contract in August.
Arriva Rail has also launched legal action against the government over the east Midlands contracts. Stephenson Harwood is advising Arriva on the claim, which was filed in the High Court on May 8.
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