Scarborough and Whitby MP, Alison Hume, has urged the government to consider allowing more open access rail operators to run services to and from the Yorkshire Coast
Alison Hume says she believes that these "open access" operators have "massive potential" to open up new routes.
Speaking in a Westminster debate Alison highlighted the current poor connections for coastal communities, asserting that "unless we really look at how we serve coastal communities given the poor connections, we will not move forward". She suggests that open access operators could help improve this situation.
The MP is campaigning for a half-hourly service between Scarborough and York. According to Hume, such a service "would be taken for granted in other areas" but currently "seems an impossibility". She notes that the line between these two locations was completed in just over a year in the 1840s, but the current operator, TransPennine Express, does not seem to have the same sense of urgency.
Alison Hume noted the success of services between Hull and London which have increased from one train a day in 1999 to seven each weekday and six at weekends and said:
"If there are any operators listening, I would really love to see a direct service between Scarborough and London".
Open access train services are run on a commercial basis by private companies, often in competition with train operators that have government contracts. There are currently five open access operators providing passenger services in Great Britain, including Lumo, Grand Central, and Hull Trains.
The government has indicated that open access operators will continue to have a role in the rail network, particularly where they can "add value and capacity". The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) must approve track access agreements for open access operators. The ORR applies a 'not primarily abstractive' test when considering an application, which requires that a new operator generates at least 30p of new revenue for every £1 taken from existing operators.
According to the Transport Secretary, open access operations can offer benefits, such as opening up new markets, driving innovation and offering choice to passengers.
While open access services currently account for a small proportion of total passenger journeys, Alison Hume believes that their potential for the Yorkshire Coast is significant. In 2022/23, domestic open access passenger services accounted for 0.6% of total passenger journeys and 2.4% of passenger operator revenues.
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