FirstGroup have urged the government to guarantee the independence of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to prevent a new state-run Great British Railways (GBR) shutting down private sector operators.
The call comes as government consultation ends on what a new nationalised railway would look like and with ministers preparing to take back regional contractors into the hands of the taxpayer.
In a submission to the Department for Transport (DfT), the country's largest train operator says that if ministers are to keep their word that the renationalisation reforms have the primary purpose of serving and protecting the passenger, then they must not allow the existing independent powers of the ORR to be watered down.
The consultation will also debate the future success of open access operators which have offered alternative services to the state-run LNER between London and the north of England and Scotland.
But the Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has signaled fears that existing or future open access operators could take revenue away from the taxpayer on a state-owned railway and possibly congest train routes.
Read more in The Times.
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Companies reporting today
B&M European Value Retail - Full Year Trading Statement
IntegraFin Holdings - Q2 Trading Statement
LVMH* - Q1 Corporate Sales Release
Rio Tinto - Q1 Operations Review