Abellio wins West Midlands franchise

[northwichcat]

There's a rumour Govia asked questions about why their bid lost and DfT have, as yet, not responded to them, which could be the reason for no further details on the franchise award being officially released.

 

[northwichcat]

I've mentioned Land Rovers, as those are a good example - most cars are kept on the road about 10 years as they become uneconomic to repair, but because Land Rovers tend to be cherished people repair them regardless of cost and so there are plenty of 30+ year old examples about - but with a lot of new parts and often new major components like chassis and rebuilt engines (on which the block is possibly the only original component).

I noticed a lot of German built cars from the 1980s and 90s still being used on the roads of former Yugoslavia earlier this year. It seems if the Germans don't want them and they are still usable then someone else can find use for them.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There's a rumour Govia asked questions about why their bid lost and DfT have, as yet, not responded to them, which could be the reason for no further details on the franchise award being officially released.

Is there a "cooldown period" precisely for that kind of challenge like for other franchises?

 

[Emblematic]

Is there a "cooldown period" precisely for that kind of challenge like for other franchises?

There is, it's at least 10 days from notification of bid winner to signing of contracts. It can be much longer if objections or legal challenges are raised. It applies to all sorts of government tenders, not just rail franchises. Known as the Alcatel standstill period after the legal actions that led to the arrangement being put in place.

 

[HH]

Is there a "cooldown period" precisely for that kind of challenge like for other franchises?

Asking questions is not a challenge. Bidders always request and get feedback from DfT on their bids, but the feedback is normally some time after the cooldown period.

Have Govia actually challenged the decision? If not, then this is just business as usual.

 

[Emblematic]

Asking questions is not a challenge. Bidders always request and get feedback from DfT on their bids, but the feedback is normally some time after the cooldown period.

Have Govia actually challenged the decision? If not, then this is just business as usual.

Actually, if there are any bidder's questions, responses to these must be provided during the standstill, as these answers could form part of a subsequent legal challenge. There must be a clear three days between the answers being provided and contracts being signed, so if there is a delay in providing this information, the standstill is automatically extended. As you say, this is all a perfectly normal part of the process, and there's nothing to indicate that anything is amiss as yet.
A further complication is that unsuccessful bidders have 30 days to lodge a legal challenge, from the date they receive the information that forms the basis of their challenge. Therefore, if the issuer believes that the bid decision may be challenged, they are advised to wait 30 days rather than the minimum 3 before finalising the contract. If the decision is successfully challenged, the liabilities are much greater if contracts were signed.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Not quite:

West Midlands Trains Ltd will be the TOC owned by Abellio

It will have two business units:
WCBU trading as "wmtrains" for the London and Liverpool services

WMBU trading as West Midland (singular) Railway or WMR for the West Midlands local services. The latter is overseen by a West Midlands Rail, the local authority body comprising councils in the 'Greater West Midlands'.

I suspect that in the long run the same confusion will arise among the general public as happens on Merseyside where many think Merseytravel and Merseyrail are the same thing. It would help if the brandings used by the two were distinct unlike the Merseyside preference for yellow with everything. People may scoff at names like Nexus (Tyne & Wear PTE) or Horizon Trains (a First Group proposal) but at least they make it easier for the public to see the boundary between the political body and the private operator.

 

[andyfrommk]

Are WMtrains going to extend the Marston vale services to Milton Keynes Central?
Maybe it's to early for them to layout plans because I've not found any info.

 

[Lrd]

Are WMtrains going to extend the Marston vale services to Milton Keynes Central?
Maybe it's to early for them to layout plans because I've not found any info.

What would the benefit be? There's plenty of higher capacity trains running between Bletchley and Milton Keynes, I wouldn't want an unreliable 150 or 153 taking up the path of a 4, 8 or 12 car 350...

 

[STKKK46]

What would the benefit be? There's plenty of higher capacity trains running between Bletchley and Milton Keynes, I wouldn't want an unreliable 150 or 153 taking up the path of a 4, 8 or 12 car 350...

What about an extremely reliable 230?

 

[Bletchleyite]

What would the benefit be?

People might actually use it.

It's unlikely, though, as EWR doesn't plan Bedford-MKC so it would only be taken away again.

 

[Pumbaa]

Lots of people are unaware of completion... rumours abound of a spanner in the works, not necessarily related to legal challenge from the incumbent.

 

[northwichcat]

Spanish Transport Minister meeting with DfT today: https://twitter.com/EmbSpainUK/status/908280845022236672 which has led to suggestions something relating to CAF is about to be announced.

 

[northwichcat]

What about an extremely reliable 230?

When is one of those going to built? The first one caught fire so can't exactly be called extremely reliable.

 

[DenmarkRail]

All seems to be very quiet... Wonder if this will be a repeat of IC WCML...

 

[Morgsie]

I cannot find a news source but there was an item on BBC Midlands Today this evening, the 6.30pm, saying that 12 new stations will open including both HS2 Stations and Worcester Parkway.

 

[4141]

I cannot find a news source but there was an item on BBC Midlands Today this evening, the 6.30pm, saying that 12 new stations will open including both HS2 Stations and Worcester Parkway.

...and one serving West Midlands Safari Park? How would that be possible unless it ran on SVR metals? Like you I've searched for more info than on the Midlands Today report, but with no success...

 

[PR1Berske]

Twelve new stations seems far too much!

 

[The Planner]

...and one serving West Midlands Safari Park? How would that be possible unless it ran on SVR metals? Like you I've searched for more info than on the Midlands Today report, but with no success...

Nothing to stop them doing that, the resignalling allowed a signalled route on and off.

 

[The Planner]

I cannot find a news source but there was an item on BBC Midlands Today this evening, the 6.30pm, saying that 12 new stations will open including both HS2 Stations and Worcester Parkway.

Will? Would go for proposed.

 

[Darkinsider]

deleted

 

[Class 170101]

From BBC News Today (available until later tomorrow) see from 1:10.

Midlands Today Evening News Thursday 14 September

 

[chris_in_salop]

No idea what Midlands Today's source is for this lot. I can't see this news being carried anywhere else, not even on Andy Street's webpage or Twitter feed. It really does look like someone has got a bit carried away with the crayons.

One of the reported stations that Midlands Today mentions in passing is apparently to be at Merry Hill, served with a branch from Stourbridge Junction. That's a new one on me.

 

[iainbhx]

One of the reported stations that Midlands Today mentions in passing is apparently to be at Merry Hill, served with a branch from Stourbridge Junction. That's a new one on me.

Oh good grief, another use for the Parry People Movers.

CENTRO did have a long term aim to do something Stourbridge Junction to Walsall, but it was never very concrete.

 

[The Planner]

One of the reported stations that Midlands Today mentions in passing is apparently to be at Merry Hill, served with a branch from Stourbridge Junction. That's a new one on me.

That is easy to do, Brierley Hill branch is already there.

 

[The Planner]

Oh good grief, another use for the Parry People Movers.

CENTRO did have a long term aim to do something Stourbridge Junction to Walsall, but it was never very concrete.

Re-opening the closed bit is a good 20 years away.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Oh good grief, another use for the Parry People Movers.

Or 230s?

 

[Old Hill Bank]

Or 230s?

The proposal is to reverse to current Stourbridge Junction terminators from Birmingham and send them up to Canal Street to an interchange with the Wednesbury-Brierley Hill Metro. Therefore heavy rail DMU, either 172 or the new build.

 

[ChrisHogan]

No idea what Midlands Today's source is for this lot. I can't see this news being carried anywhere else, not even on Andy Street's webpage or Twitter feed. It really does look like someone has got a bit carried away with the crayons.

One of the reported stations that Midlands Today mentions in passing is apparently to be at Merry Hill, served with a branch from Stourbridge Junction. That's a new one on me.

The source for this report is from the West Midland Combined Authority and can be found here: https://www.tfwm.org.uk/news/transport-plan-for-the-next-decade-approved/ plus some creative reporting by the BBC. Reporter Peter Plisner said that Worcestershire Parkway (as well as Kenilworth) was already under construction.

However the Transport Plan is a completely unfunded "wish list" of what the WMCA would like. The West Midlands Mayor only has £36m funding available each year and with new stations costing £20m plus, I can't see much of it happening very soon. The other stations are the Camp Hill line stations but this needs Kings Norton to be remodelled and the centre island reopened (CP7?) and the Bordesley Chords/Moor Street expansion scheme built; new stations between Walsall and Wolverhampton for a direct service (but no mention of the infrastructure works needed at Wolves to support a reasonably frequent service).

The services to the Safari Park and to a station "near Merry Hill" are supposed to be extensions of the existing services that terminate at Kidderminster and Stourbridge Junction.

 

[The Planner]

I had heard that too, bit of a faff and will need more units too.