A RAIL group bidding to bring budget fares to the East Coast Main Line to lure passengers away from air travel has insisted it is "very comfortable" there is enough space on the line to accommodate the service after Network Rail cast doubt on the plans.
Aberdeen-based First Group, which previously operated the ScotRail franchise, wants to launch a low-cost rail service with an average Edinburgh-London ticket costing "the same as a cab to the airport" at £25.
It submitted a track access application earlier this year seeking permission to begin operating on the route from 2018.
The proposed service promised to match Virgin's journey times by cutting down on stops along the route, while going head-to-head against budget airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair on price.
Separately, Alliance Rail, a subsidiary of German owned Deutsche Bahn, wants to offer a competing East Coast service using luxury Pendolino tilting trains to cut journey times between Edinburgh and London to three hours 43 minutes.
Although the franchise to run the East Coast main line is held by Inter-City Railways, a Stagecoach-Virgin Trains consortium, other operators may apply to run additional operations on the track under a process known as open access, if they can make a case that those services are not currently provided.
However, in a letter to industry regulator, the Office of Road and Rail, Fiona Dolman - capacity planning director at Network Rail - said she "cannot confirm" whether it will be possible to operate eight long distance high speed services per hour on the line.
She also highlighted a number of key capacity constraints facing the proposed services off the core East Coast main line route, such as Micklefield to Leeds, whilst adding that Network Rail does not yet know what services will be required by the Northern and Transpennine franchises, which are due to be awarded this year.
The capacity issues were discussed yesterday during the first of a series of technical meetings between Network Rail and the ORR.
Network Rail said it was working closely with the regulator and prospective operators regarding capacity allocation on the East Coast Main Line.
A spokesman for First Group said they remained confident that their proposals could be delivered.
He said: "Our plans will give customers travelling between London and Edinburgh an attractive alternative to flying.
"Budget airlines are the great success story of aviation and we want to take them on at their own game with these innovative new proposals, by offering genuinely low fares at half the average price of today and with an earlier arrival time into Edinburgh than now.
"We're very comfortable that our proposals can both be delivered alongside the franchise, and offer maximum flexibility to Network Rail as they construct their timetable."
First Group stressed that their service would not run at peak hours, and was primarily focused on delivering a cheaper alternative to plane travel.
Currently two thirds of Edinburgh to London journeys are made by air.
The transport group wants to run five trains throughout the day each way between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley, with journey times of around four hours, calling at Newcastle, Morpeth and Stevenage.
It will use a fleet of brand new IEP-style trains offering free wifi and on-board catering.
Alliance Rail also remained confident its application would be approved.
A spokesman said: "The industry appears agreed that additional capacity is, or will be, available. We now need more certainty on when."
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