LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
The DfT has published PINs (Prior Information Notices) that it will negotiate new National Rail contracts on a direct award basis for GW and West Coast services.
The GW contract will be for 6 years and the West Coast one (which includes initial HS2 services) will be for 12 years.
Both will have a half-way review point. These will replace the current GWR and Avanti contracts.
FirstGroup controls both operators (with Trenitalia as a junior partner for West Coast).
There is no hint of any change from the current geography of rail services (which run into Wales and Scotland).
Start dates are 26 June 2022 for GW, and 16 October 2022 for West Coast.
The West Coast contract could therefore extend until 2032.
While all this has been trailed for some time, it's the first concrete plan to involve private TOCs in the centralised GBR setup.
Whatever form the GBR organisation takes, it will need to encompass these contracts, and no doubt others involving private companies.
There seems no plan to put these contracts out to open tender, giving FirstGroup long-term operation of services on the GWML and WCML.
West Coast Partnership: prior information notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Great Western: prior information notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The GW contract will be for 6 years and the West Coast one (which includes initial HS2 services) will be for 12 years.
Both will have a half-way review point. These will replace the current GWR and Avanti contracts.
FirstGroup controls both operators (with Trenitalia as a junior partner for West Coast).
There is no hint of any change from the current geography of rail services (which run into Wales and Scotland).
Start dates are 26 June 2022 for GW, and 16 October 2022 for West Coast.
The West Coast contract could therefore extend until 2032.
While all this has been trailed for some time, it's the first concrete plan to involve private TOCs in the centralised GBR setup.
Whatever form the GBR organisation takes, it will need to encompass these contracts, and no doubt others involving private companies.
There seems no plan to put these contracts out to open tender, giving FirstGroup long-term operation of services on the GWML and WCML.
West Coast Partnership: prior information notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Great Western: prior information notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The prior information notice informs the incumbent train operator that we seek to obtain a Direct Award (DA) for up to 6 years.
We are implementing new national rail contracts as part of the transition towards a new commercial model for passenger services outlined in the Great British Railways: Williams-Shapps plan for rail.
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