East Coast on course for improved rail services
24 Mar 2014 10:19 AM
The invitation to tender for the East
Coast franchise, which asks bidders to set out proposals for services, has been
published.
A milestone in the transformation of rail
services along one of the UK’s most iconic rail routes was reached last
week (21 March 2014) with the release of the invitation to tender (ITT) for the East Coast
franchise.
The ITT will ask bidders to set out detailed
proposals explaining how they will build on the multi-billion pound investment
planned for the East Coast Main Line, and what improvements in passenger
services they will deliver should they win the franchise.
Key features of the ITT include:
- supporting the roll out of a new fleet
of state-of-the-art intercity express trains
- continuation of services to all
current destinations
- faster and more frequent services to
and from King’s Cross by May 2020
- faster average journey times to Leeds
and Edinburgh from May 2020
- the potential for improved services to
destinations such as Lincoln
- an opportunity for bidders to serve
five new routes including Huddersfield, Scarborough, Harrogate (via York),
Middlesbrough and Sunderland (via Newcastle)
- a fund that will drive innovation and
deliver long-term benefits for the franchise and wider rail industry
Rail Minister Stephen Hammond said:
Franchising has been a force for good for our
railways, delivering record growth to an industry that was once in decline.
The time is now right for us to find a
long-term partner for the East Coast franchise, who can use their private
sector expertise and knowledge to build on the significant investment planned
for the route.
I want to see innovative bids that provide
value for money for taxpayers and deliver improved services for passengers and
local businesses.
The East Coast is the first InterCity franchise
to be let since the launch of the Department for Transport’s new franch
ising schedule last March, and has been developed in close consultation
with the rail industry and the independent Franchise Advisory Panel.
It is anticipated the successful bidder will be
announced in November. The new franchise will start in March 2015 and run for 8
years with the possibility of a 1 year extension.
The department is now looking forward to
receiving high-quality bids from the 3 shortlisted bidders:
- Inter City Railways Limited
(Stagecoach Transport Holdings Limited and Virgin Holdings Limited)
- Keolis/Eurostar East Coast Limited
(Keolis (UK) Limited and Eurostar International Limited)
- East Coast Trains Ltd (First Group
plc)
The East Coast franchise links some of the
biggest towns and cities in England and Scotland including:
- London
- Peterborough
- Doncaster
- Newcastle
- Aberdeen
- Inverness
Services along the East Coast Main Line are set
to be transformed over the coming years through £240 million worth of
investments which will improve reliability and boost capacity for passengers
and freight traffic.
The route will also benefit from the
government’s £5.8 billion Intercity Express Programme, which is set
to deliver a new fleet of state-of-the-art trains which will cut journey times
and boost the customer experience.
Related InterCity East Coast franchise
documents