GNER is set to win the bid for the East Coast mainline rail franchise after offering to pay the Treasury nearly £1bn.
The Independent on Sunday reveals that GNER trumped rivals, including Virgin Trains, FirstGroup, and the Danish state railway, DSB, by agreeing to pay nearly £100m a year to operate the 10-year franchise.
The recommendation by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) recommended that GNER should keep the London-Scotland route was made in a meeting with the Department of Transport on Friday.
The final decision has to be approved by the Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, and the Chancellor, Gordon Brown. An official announcement is due in mid-March.
References: The Independent on Sunday Business 27/02/05 p3, The Sunday Telegraph Business 27/02/05 p1
