Department for Transport

Naomi Ling, as specialist pensions counsel, successfully defends DfT in High Court

As part of a team of counsel, Naomi Ling has successful defended Department for Transport against a challenge to their process of awarding rail franchises. Naomi Ling acted as specialist pensions counsel as part of an 11 strong counsel team defending the Department for Transport against a challenge to the 2019 rail franchising process. Arriva, Stagecoach and Virgin Trains (the latter acting as part of a consortium) were disqualified from the competitions from the East Midlands and South Eastern and West Coast Partnership rail franchises because they had failed to submit bids that were compliant with the pensions requirements. They challenged this decision, claiming that the Secretary of State had acted unlawfully in requiring them to assume uncertain future pensions…

News, Pensions 18 Jun, 2020