West Coast passengers in
line for 28,000 extra seats as franchise extension signed
Passengers using
the busy West Coast Main Line are set to benefit from extra
carriages and more seats from April next year Rail Minister
Theresa Villiers has announced, after the Government signed an
extension to Virgin Trains' existing contract to operate
services on the line.
Services on the line - which stretches from London to Glasgow
serving Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and North Wales - will
now be run by Virgin Trains until December 2012. Over the course
of the extension three new 600-seat Pendolino trains will be added
to the line. This is in addition to the new Pendolino which
entered service in July this year. Also, 31 existing Pendolinos
will be lengthened from 9 to 11 carriages, increasing the number
of standard class seats on each train by almost 50%, from 320 to
470. In all, 106 new carriages are being introduced on the route
making 28,000 extra seats available each day, an increase of 25%.
Rail Minister Theresa Villiers said:
"The West Coast Main Line is one of our busiest and most
important rail arteries. Keeping the existing operator in place
while these new trains and carriages are introduced should help
ensure they are introduced smoothly onto the network so passengers
reap the benefits as soon as possible.
"When this extension expires in December 2012, the
Government will have completed a competition for a new operator to
run services on the line under a new longer style of franchise
which gives the operator more incentive to invest and more freedom
to innovate and deliver for passengers.
"These extra seats are great news for passengers, but in
the longer term, even with these improvements, the route is
expected to be full by 2024. This is why we are considering
proposals for a high speed rail line between London, the West
Midlands, Manchester, Leeds and potentially beyond."
The Department announced its intention to seek an extension to
Virgin Trains' existing contract in May 2011. At the same
time the Department published details of how the new West Coast
franchise that will take over in December 2012 will look, in the
form of a draft Invitation To Tender. The new franchise will run
from December 2012 to March 2026 with an option for the Department
to extend up to 20 months.
The Government is currently considering responses to its
consultation on proposals for a new high speed rail network and
will announce its decision by the end of the year.
Notes to Editors
1. Virgin Trains' existing contract to run services on
the West Coast Main Line would have expired on 31 March 2012. The
extension signed today will see it continue to 9 December 2012. 2.
Details published of the new franchise that will take over from 9
December 2012, were set out by the Department in a draft
Invitation to Tender (ITT) published in May 2011. The draft ITT
can be accessed at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/rail-passenger-franchise-intercity-west-coast
3. The proposed Train Service Specification for new Inter City
West Coast franchise - which will begin in December 2012 once the
franchise extension announced today expires - represents a
relaxation from the rigid timetable specification of the past,
while retaining obligations that protect the key elements of
service, such as principal first and last trains and minimum
numbers of station stops per week and per day. This marks a
significant shift from the micro-management that has prevented
operators from maximising capacity and reacting to the changing
demands of their passengers in the past. 4. The DfT expects to
publish the final invitation to tender for the new longer
intercity west coast franchise in January 2012. The four
shortlisted bidders to run the franchise from December 2012 are
Abellio, First Group, Keolis/SNCF and Virgin. Press Enquiries: 020
7944 3108Out of Hours: 020 7944 4292Public Enquiries: 0300 330
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Contacts:
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Phone: DfT Press Office 020 7944 3108
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