Second rail operator to sue government over East Midlands franchise

Rail company Arriva has joined Stagecoach in launching legal action against the government after it failed in its bid to land the East Midlands rail franchise.

Arriva said it is looking for more clarity over how the government came to choose Abellio, the Dutch firm which takes on the franchise on 18 August.

The news comes after Stagecoach last week said it was taking legal action against the Department for Transport (DfT) after it was banned from bidding for the East Midlands franchise.

In a statement, the DfT said it would “robustly defend decisions that were taken fairly following a thorough and impartial evaluation process”.

Last week, Martin Griffiths, Stagecoach Group chief executive, said: “We remain deeply concerned at the Department for Transport’s procurement of the three most recent rail franchise competitions and the rationale behind its decisions.”

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