Humberside
Member
http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/f...97&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False
Some bits from the Notes to Editors
And what is happenning to the Barton line, proposed in the consultation document for transfer to East Midlands (something which I am personally against - it was my letter on the issue in a recent Today Railways)
Invitations to Tender (ITT) for bidders for three new rail franchises, New Cross Country, East Midlands and West Midlands will be issued by the Department for Transport today.
The ITTs set out minimum levels of service operators will deliver when the new franchises commence on 11th November 2007. Bidders are able to operate additional services, subject to operational constraints, over and above the services outlined. The deadlines for completed bids fall between late February and early March 2007, and the winners are expected to be announced in Summer 2007.
Overall, we have asked bidders to find ways to operate more capacity on the network to accommodate recent and future growth. Operational changes will facilitate train-lengthening on some core routes and a more regular timetable for many passengers. Bidders have been asked to price a 30% increase in capacity on key routes in the New Cross Country franchise.
There will be service changes in each of the new franchises to capitalise on the improvements brought about by the West Coast Main Line modernisation, which will put in place faster, more frequent services from 2008. Where possible, more frequent, longer trains or new services will operate.
The winners will accept interoperable smartcard ticketing across the whole of each franchise during their lifetime. Each contract will specify performance improvements. In the East and West Midlands franchises, where the operator will be responsible for stations, they will be required to achieve Secure Stations Accreditation for the busiest locations.
Some bits from the Notes to Editors
Some questions - with there being no semi fast Birmingham-Manchester service, will Cross Country continue to serve Congelton2. Snow Hill services: In addition Chiltern Railways (M40 Trains Ltd) are being invited to submit a separate proposal for the Snow Hill services to Birmingham
3. Capacity: Bidders for the New Cross Country franchise are being asked to price a 30% increase in capacity on key routes. They have also been asked to offer a price without the additional capacity added to ensure that the Department has a comparison which to properly evaluate increased capacity proposals.
4. Timetable changes - New Cross Country franchise. The following changes are planned:
* Cross Country services between Manchester and Scotland will stop in December 2007. Separately, TransPennine Express (TPE) will extend the existing Manchester Airport - Cumbria service to Scotland, offering comparable journey times to today.
* From no later than 2008 services between Birmingham and Scotland will be operated by Virgin West Coast
* Penzance and destinations in the South West will continue to be served by the same number of Cross Country trains and a new contractual commitment to operate summer services between the North East and North West of England to Newquay.
5. Timetable changes - West Midlands franchise. The timetable operated until December 2008 will be similar to today. Bidders will be asked to price an option for the retention of the Walsall - Wolverhampton service from December 2007. The timetable alterations in 2008 will mean:
* A broadly hourly new London - Crewe semi-fast service, serving Trent Valley stations, Stone and Stoke on Trent.
* Two trains an hour between Birmingham and Liverpool, calling at the new Liverpool South Parkway station, and two trains per hour between Birmingham and Northampton
* Curtailment of the current hourly Birmingham - Walsall - Cannock - Stafford service at Rugely Trent Valley, with a connection at Rugely Trent Valley with the London - Crewe semi-fast service. Bidders are also required to improve Rugely Trent Valley station.
* Operationally, it has not been possible to introduce an hourly Birmingham - Manchester semi-fast service.
6. Timetable changes - East Midlands franchise
* A dedicated London and Kettering service will be introduced from December 2008, which will pave the way for the extension of London trains through to Corby if a new station is given the go-ahead
* A new station, East Midlands Parkway, will be serviced by London - Nottingham services and will get at least 2 trains per hour
* No changes to the current Liverpool - Norwich service, except a provision for the service to call at Liverpool South Parkway
* DfT has not included all off-peak services between Market Harborough and London in the specification. More popular peak time services will remain and will become faster at the 2008 timetable change. Bidders are free to propose running off-peak services
And what is happenning to the Barton line, proposed in the consultation document for transfer to East Midlands (something which I am personally against - it was my letter on the issue in a recent Today Railways)