By Jack Mendel
FirstGroup has struck a deal with the government to continue its contract for the West Coast Partnership (WCP) until Match next year.
The deal includes the operation of Avanti West Coast, which is operating under an Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement (ERMA).
Last month, Avanti begged ministers to relieve it from performance target deadlines, after struggling with driver shortages.
The ERMA was put in place in September 2020 to support ailing the firm and passengers during the pandemic.
The extension of the contract with the Department for Transport, which was due to expire on 16 October, will run under roughly the same terms until next March.
The government is in discussions regarding the long-term National Rail Contract for the WCP.
“We are committed to working closely with government and our partners across the industry to deliver a successful railway that serves the needs of our customers and communities” Graham Sutherland, FirstGroup Chief Executive said.
“Today’s agreement allows our team at Avanti West Coast to sustain their focus on delivering their robust plan to restore services to the levels that passengers rightly expect.”
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