Not so much rowing back, more the full 60 knot reversal!
Theresa Villiers (Shadow Secretary of State for Transport)
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when his Department plans to begin the pre-qualification process for invitations to tender for the Inter-City East Coast franchise.
Chris Mole (Parliamentary Under-Secretary)
In the event that a state company takes on responsibility for the inter city east coast services later this year, the Department for Transport will consult on a new franchise specification with a view to issuing an invitation to tender in the summer of 2010.
"In the event"!?!
Why, suddenly, has an element of doubt crept into the proceedings?
UPDATE: This from The Archer...
As DafT are supremely confident that they can enforce Cross Default it's possible that NatEx have waved the white flag.
So expect an announcement soon on the date of their exit from East Coast.
And perhaps if they play ball DafT will let them keep the other two until 2011.
