The Office of Rail and Road has announced that they have decided that train operators using the High Speed 1 rail line from London to the Channel Tunnel will collectively pay £25.9 million per year towards the cost of upkeeping the railway.
The 67-mile high-speed track, opened in 2003, is owned by Government and operated by HS1 Ltd.
This increase in charges is because costs in the future will be higher than they are now as the line gets older and needs more work.
ORR’s analysis has shown that the lower figure is sufficient to ensure the assets are sustained.
The Final Determination, as the ORR has called it, will come into effect from 1 April 2020.
What did the officials say?
John Larkinson, ORR Chief Executive, said:
“High Speed 1 is a valuable public asset and our role is to provide independent assurance that the line will be kept in good condition over the long-term at the lowest possible cost. This is important to make sure that train operators and, in turn, passengers and freight users get a good deal now but not at the expense of future generations.”
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High Speed 1 did cost lot more when it was first built. No wonder High Speed 2 is costing so much more and is over budget.