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| East Coast rail franchise bidding process begins | East Coast rail franchise bidding process begins |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Private companies have been invited to bid for the East Coast rail franchise, which has been run in the public sector since 2009. | Private companies have been invited to bid for the East Coast rail franchise, which has been run in the public sector since 2009. |
| The London to Scotland route was given up by National Express in that year. | |
| Ten of the country's 16 rail franchises are due for renewal before the general election, expected in 2015. | Ten of the country's 16 rail franchises are due for renewal before the general election, expected in 2015. |
| Rail franchising was halted last year after a decision to award the UK's West Coast Main Line rail franchise to FirstGroup was scrapped. | Rail franchising was halted last year after a decision to award the UK's West Coast Main Line rail franchise to FirstGroup was scrapped. |
| The transport secretary found there were "significant technical flaws" in the bidding process because of mistakes by Department for Transport staff and three civil servants were suspended. | The transport secretary found there were "significant technical flaws" in the bidding process because of mistakes by Department for Transport staff and three civil servants were suspended. |
| Virgin Trains, which was given the right to run the West Coast line for a further two years while the system is sorted out, is understood to be keen to bid for the new East Coast contract. | Virgin Trains, which was given the right to run the West Coast line for a further two years while the system is sorted out, is understood to be keen to bid for the new East Coast contract. |
| Its contract to run the West Coast is also expected to be extended by another two years. | Its contract to run the West Coast is also expected to be extended by another two years. |
| Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced the start of a bidding process for the East Coast franchise on Tuesday. | |
| He also published a detailed timetable for all rail franchise arrangements over the next eight years. | |
| The East Coast route stops at such locations as Peterborough, Leeds, York, Newcastle, Berwick upon Tweed and Edinburgh's Waverley station, where connections are available to other parts of Scotland. |