The shortlist of bidders that will be invited to deliver proposals for improved services for passengers on the InterCity East Coast rail franchise was announced by the government today (17 January).
The companies that have successfully passed the Pre-Qualification Evaluation stage and can now start working on developing their plans for the franchise, before they receive the government’s Invitation to Tender are:
- East Coast Trains Ltd (First Group plc);
- Keolis/Eurostar East Coast Limited (Keolis (UK) Limited and Eurostar International Limited);
- Inter City Railways Limited (Stagecoach Transport Holdings Limited and Virgin Holdings Limited).
The government is expecting to see how the future operators will capitalise on the significant government investment along this route, including £240 million in infrastructure projects over the next five years to improve capacity and reduce journey times.
Rail Minister Stephen Hammond said:
“Giving passengers more will be at the heart of the new East Coast franchise. That means new services and journeys that are faster, more punctual and more comfortable. When these companies are developing their proposals they should be looking at ways to innovate and grow the service.
“We have embarked on one of the biggest programmes of rail investment ever, with over £35 billion being spent to enhance and run our rail network over the next five years. But for our railways to continue to grow we need strong private sector partners who can invest and innovate in ways that deliver a world class service.”
Since rail services were privatised in 1993, the close cooperation between government and the train companies has heralded an unprecedented growth in the number of passengers.
While the East Coast franchise has been stabilised under government ownership since 2009, the route now needs a long term private sector operator to plan for the future and meet the increasing demands for more trains serving even more destinations.
When it started the franchise competition in October 2013 the government published the InterCity East Coast prospectus which set out the areas prospective bidders will need to consider when they start developing their proposals. These include:
- developing innovative timetables which build on the core train service requirement published by the Department for Transport (DfT);
- investment in innovative ways to transform the customer experience on trains and at stations;
identifying further opportunities for investment along the route, particularly at stations; - making the route and train operations more considerate of the environment;
involving communities along the route in local decision making; and - demonstrating how their proposals will support economic growth along the route.
The DfT is planning to issue the Invitation to Tender at the end of February and the potential operators will then have at least three months to develop their bids, before the new services start in February 2015.
ENDS