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UK: CMA probes West Coast Rail franchise award

By  |  September 22, 2019

The UK’s competition watchdog has launched a probe into the award of a contract to replace Virgin Trains in running services on the West Coast Main Line, reported the Financial Times

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    A joint venture between Aberdeen-based FirstGroup and Italian-owned train operator Trenitalia is due to launch on December 8.

    But the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced it is investigating whether the Department for Transport’s (DfT) decision to award the West Coast Partnership (WCP) franchise to First Trenitalia could lead to competition concerns.

    The CMA will consider whether the contract will lead to a merger which could substantially reduce competition.

    Full Content: Financial Times

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