Rail companies will have to pay £26 million per year to keep the High Speed 1 train line operational.
The numbers are more than quadruple the amount they were paying a decade ago, according to new figures.
Analysis from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) shows that operators should expect to pay £26.1 million between them per year for the next five years to maintain the 67 miles of track linking London and the Channel Tunnel.
Monthly Subscription: Enjoy more Railway Magazine reading each month with free delivery to you door, and access to over 100 years in the archive, all for just £5.35 per month.
Click here to subscribe & save
Earlier this year, proposals from HS1 Limited suggested companies, including Eurostar and Southeastern, would face a bill of £38.2m for the track’s annual upkeep.
However, ORR has deemed this figure to be too high.
After HS1’s announcement in the summer, operators had warned that the higher figure would mean price increases for passengers.
Eurostar said that the original bill would make the line “unsustainable from the perspective of passenger affordability”.
In the five years to January 2020, companies that use the HS1 line had to pay £11.2 million per year towards its upkeep.
But, for the five years before 2015, the annual bill was £5.9 million.
John Larkinson, ORR chief executive said: “High Speed 1 is a valuable public asset and our role is to provide independent assurance that assets can be kept in good condition over the long-term at the lowest possible cost.
“This is important to make sure that operators, and in turn, passengers and freight users, get a good deal now, but not at the expense of future generations.”
An HS1 Ltd spokesperson says: “Continued investment in maintenance and renewals is required to ensure sustainability of HS1 infrastructure.
“We welcome the publication of today’s draft determination from the Office of Road and Rail (ORR). We will now take this away, consider it fully and respond in due course.”
These draft figures will be put to a public consultation until November 11.
The final bill for the next five years will announce in January 2020.
Also see…
Passengers will benefit from a fast, free and reliable WiFi service thanks to a ‘significant digital investment’, Network Rail announce.
Network Rail will offer seamless connectivity and single sign-on at all Network Rail managed stations. Full story.
