LNER Direct Award

[Class 170101]

So LNER have been issued with a Direct Award for another three years with a two year possible extension.

[Withdrawn] LNER Direct Award on InterCity East Coast

www.gov.uk

The Department for Transport has made a Direct Award to London North Eastern Railway to continue to operate intercity rail services from London King’s Cross to the East Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland. The Direct Award runs for 3 years with an available extension period of up to 26 rail periods (equivalent to 2 years).

This further direct award will enable LNER to continue delivering planned improvements for passengers, including completing the roll out of Azuma trains and a major timetable uplift that will increase the number of services on offer to passengers and improve journey times.
The Direct Award is in accordance with Article 5 (6) of Regulation 1370/2007 of the European Parliament and the Council 23 October 2007 on public passenger transport services.

LNER continues to be owned and overseen by the DfT Public Sector Operator, DfT OLR Holdings Ltd.

LNER given further 3 year direct award to continue running services- interesting times!

But to what benefits for the passengers?

 

[hexagon789]

But to what benefits for the passengers?

Assuming they stick to their plans - quite a few, this arguably gives them more time to complete and bed them in

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

So LNER have been issued with a Direct Award for another three years with a two year possible extension.

[Withdrawn] LNER Direct Award on InterCity East Coast

www.gov.uk

But to what benefits for the passengers?

There plans include if i recall correctly from the award of the franchise in 2015 when Virgin won:

1. a two-hourly Middlesborough to London service from 2021
2. an extra hourly service to Newcastle (to enable a fast Edinburgh to London service via York and Newcastle only)
3. extra trains to Leeds (around 5 trains per day)
4. All 65 Azuma trains plus the 10 Intercity 225's (the latter is likely to be replaced by new stock in the future).

 

[YorksLad12]

If the paths and bi-modes were available they could send (2) via (3)...

 

[alistairlees]

So LNER have been issued with a Direct Award for another three years with a two year possible extension.

Wasn’t this announced in July 2019? I’m sure that was when an extension to 2025 from this year was announced. I think this might just be doing the paperwork.

 

[JonathanH]

If the paths and bi-modes were available they could send (2) via (3)...

Only with a material time penalty. Not sure there would be an easy path through the eastern side of Leeds station either.

 

[DB]

Lets's face it, there's really no point (especially at the moment) in going back to the usual ECML merry-go-round of awarding a new franchise to a private operator amid great fanfare, Only for the operator to fail and get the boot within a few years.

 

[Class 170101]

There plans include if i recall correctly from the award of the franchise in 2015 when Virgin won:

1. a two-hourly Middlesborough to London service from 2021
2. an extra hourly service to Newcastle (to enable a fast Edinburgh to London service via York and Newcastle only)
3. extra trains to Leeds (around 5 trains per day)
4. All 65 Azuma trains plus the 10 Intercity 225's (the latter is likely to be replaced by new stock in the future).

But weren't these already in the previous direct award?

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

But weren't these already in the previous direct award?

sort of but the franchise was due to expire this year where as these arent due until late 2021.

 

[ainsworth74]

Perhaps this is the moment to drop the attached document into the discussion. I'm not exactly sure how much of this remains the plan but, as far as I'm aware, this is still the most recent statement of intent for the ICEC franchise* in terms of future services. I suggest consulting the final page schematic diagram which is perhaps the easiest way of digesting the information.

*If there is more recent then links are gratefully received.

 

[Gaz55]

If this is just a rubber stamping exercise, how long would it be before the DFT announce whether those original plans in the previous direct award will be carried out. New services, extra services and new rolling stock, surely its better to make those decisions pretty sharpish.

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

For anyone who can't see it this is the overall plan by December 2021 (instead of May 2020 as in the document)


As far as I am aware LNER is still proceeding with these plans

 

[John R]

If this is just a rubber stamping exercise, how long would it be before the DFT announce whether those original plans in the previous direct award will be carried out. New services, extra services and new rolling stock, surely its better to make those decisions pretty sharpish.

Making decisions and announcing them are two separate activities. As an example, there has been no formal announcement as to the service enhancements agreed as part of the new GWR direct award which is now operating. The view appears to be that until a more normal situation is resumed it’s not appropriate to do so, and whilst that is slightly frustrating for those of us who are interested observers, I can understand the reasoning.

Besides, LNER is not a normal franchise or even management contract. All the govt has done is formalised the fact that the state owned operator will carry on for a few more years, doing what is already planned. So no need to negotiate improvements with the operator as would normally be the case, some of which were meaningful, but in some short extensions were really just window dressing to put some positive spin on the announcement.

 

[SlimJim1694]

For anyone who can't see it this is the overall plan by December 2021 (instead of May 2020 as in the document)
View attachment 80064

As far as I am aware LNER is still proceeding with these plans

Looking at this they seem to be planning to run services over the Grand Central routes (Bradford and Sunderland direct to London). There is obviously no sense in doing this unless they can compete with Grand Central on fares. Where is this going to leave Grand Central? I expect they are in pretty dire straights already considering they've not ran for months and their staff are on Furlough.

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

Looking at this they seem to be planning to run services over the Grand Central routes (Bradford and Sunderland direct to London). There is obviously no sense in doing this unless they can compete with Grand Central on fares. Where is this going to leave Grand Central? I expect they are in pretty dire straights already considering they've not ran for months and their staff are on Furlough.

LNER has introduced the Bradford and Sunderland services.

 

[SlimJim1694]

LNER has introduced the Bradford and Sunderland services.

I hadn't realised. Can't see there being much call for these open access operators starting up again any time soon if their routes are already duplicated and passenger numbers are so low. I do feel sorry for their staff because these must be very unsettling times for them.

 

[swt_passenger]

I hadn't realised. Can't see there being much call for these open access operators starting up again any time soon if their routes are already duplicated and passenger numbers are so low. I do feel sorry for their staff because these must be very unsettling times for them.

Sunderland will still only be the one service in marginal time at start and end of the day. That allowed it to be done with no additional stock.

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

I hadn't realised. Can't see there being much call for these open access operators starting up again any time soon if their routes are already duplicated and passenger numbers are so low. I do feel sorry for their staff because these must be very unsettling times for them.

Bradford runs from Forster Square via Leeds where as Grand Central operates via a different route. Grand Central Sunderland service is far more regular than LNER (1 train per day each way verses 6 trains per day)

 

[YorksLad12]

Only with a material time penalty. Not sure there would be an easy path through the eastern side of Leeds station either.

I know. Wishful thinking

 

[37424]

Looking at this they seem to be planning to run services over the Grand Central routes (Bradford and Sunderland direct to London). There is obviously no sense in doing this unless they can compete with Grand Central on fares. Where is this going to leave Grand Central? I expect they are in pretty dire straights already considering they've not ran for months and their staff are on Furlough.

There has always been a limited service to Bradford FS since BR decided to route services their instead of Interchange. The GC services also serves Calderdale and Kirklees and seems to be fairly popular but the improved 2 hourly service to Foster Square could have a significant impact on GC Bradford customers. The marginal time service to Sunderland probably wont have too much effect on GC services to Sunderland.

With the increased Bi-mode fleet over HST's and smaller 5 car units gives LNER more capability to serve Off Wire destinations, but I expect that a lot of it is really designed to deter more sniffing around by open access operators.

 

[hexagon789]

For anyone who can't see it this is the overall plan by December 2021 (instead of May 2020 as in the document)
View attachment 80064

As far as I am aware LNER is still proceeding with these plans

Interesting that the Aberdeen/Inverness are to be formed out of Edinburgh semi-fasts rather than fasts as now.

 

[swt_passenger]

Interesting that the Aberdeen/Inverness are to be formed out of Edinburgh semi-fasts rather than fasts as now.

Of course the Edinburgh fasts were going to be the retained 7 car 225 sets in that application, so couldn’t run through. Perhaps that’s up for change now, what with all the more recent posts about them probably being used for Leeds services. (noting that I haven’t a clue what’s likely to be happening...)

 

[YorksLad12]

Of course the Edinburgh fasts were going to be the retained 7 car 225 sets in that application, so couldn’t run through. Perhaps that’s up for change now, what with all the more recent posts about them probably being used for Leeds services. (noting that I haven’t a clue what’s likely to be happening...)

Agreeing with your note , they couldn't be used for all Leeds services as some will extend to Harrogate every two hours, etc. I'd also imagined they'd be used on the limited stop services to Scotland so they can get up to speed and stay there, but I've seen one of the shorter sets in Leeds... so who knows?

 

[800001]

Agreeing with your note , they couldn't be used for all Leeds services as some will extend to Harrogate every two hours, etc. I'd also imagined they'd be used on the limited stop services to Scotland so they can get up to speed and stay there, but I've seen one of the shorter sets in Leeds... so who knows?

The shorter set was due to 1 coach being out for maintenance, so another was removed to make it a 7 coach train and they did speed and timing tests during this covid period whilst quite. It is now back as a 9 coach set, all sets are still 9 coaches.
Plan is going forward to keep them all On Leeds/York services, which means that Newcastle and Edinburgh drivers will lose class competancy.

 

[hexagon789]

Of course the Edinburgh fasts were going to be the retained 7 car 225 sets in that application, so couldn’t run through. Perhaps that’s up for change now, what with all the more recent posts about them probably being used for Leeds services. (noting that I haven’t a clue what’s likely to be happening...)

I'd forgot about that, though perhaps I had thought the relevant Aberdeen/Inverness slots would be Azumas instead of 225s to allow through working. The switch to the semi-fast, if that is continued with, will add a bit to the relevant journey times to Inverness/Aberdeen.

 

[800001]

It's just been confirmed that from either the 4th or 11th September Mk4s will be confined to the Leeds/York terminators, this had just been sent internally at lner

 

[hexagon789]

It's just been confirmed that from either the 4th or 11th September Mk4s will be confined to the Leeds/York terminators, this had just been sent internally at lner

So they will be limited to Leeds as was suggested some months ago and not Edinburgh fasts pending eventually ordering of more new trains?

 

[800001]

So they will be limited to Leeds as was suggested some months ago and not Edinburgh fasts pending eventually ordering of more new trains?

Certainly from the 4/11th Sept. Nothing mentioned about plans further ahead

 

[LowLevel]

Bugger! There goes any chance of avoiding the hateful Azuma devices on long drags up to Scotland then

 

[ainsworth74]

I'd also imagined they'd be used on the limited stop services to Scotland so they can get up to speed and stay there, but I've seen one of the shorter sets in Leeds... so who knows?

Confining them to London - Leeds/York simplifies the training requirements across LNER as only a few driver and guard depots will still need to sign them rather than basically every depot if they were staying on London - Edinburgh.