Greater Anglia franchise Direct Award – Passenger Focus submission to the Department for Transport

29 October 2013

The Greater Anglia Direct Award follows a very short franchise, which was itself extended.  By the date of commencement of the next full franchise in October 2016 a significant time will have elapsed under short-term arrangements.  It is imperative that the Direct Award includes mechanisms to unlock much-needed investment, deliver real passenger benefits and provide firm foundations on which the next franchise can build.  In short, the Direct Award must be a building block, not merely a stepping stone.