THE DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT today announced the parties that have qualified as Bidders for the New Cross Country; East Midlands and West Midlands franchises. They are as follows:
New Cross Country franchise:
* Arriva Trains Cross Country Limited (Arriva Group)
* First Cross Country Limited (First Group)
* NXC Trains Limited (National Express Group)
* Virgin Voyager Trains Ltd (Virgin Rail Group)
East Midlands franchise:
* Arriva Trains East Midlands Limited (Arriva Group)
* First East Midlands Limited (First Group)
* NXE Trains Limited (National Express Group)
* Stagecoach Midland Rail Limited (Stagecoach Group)
West Midlands franchise:
* London & Birmingham Railway Limited (Govia)
* MTR Corporation (UK) Limited (MTR Corporation of Hong Kong)
* Serco NedRailways West Midlands Limited (a Joint Venture between Serco and NedRailways)
In addition Chiltern Railways (M40 Trains Ltd, a subsidiary of John Laing plc) are being invited to submit a separate proposal for the Snow Hill services in Birmingham.
DfT issued an advertisement in June 2006 inviting Expressions of Interest in the franchises by 31 July 2006. DfT will now invite the parties to submit detailed bids by issuing Invitations to Tender during Autumn 2006. The closing date for bids is February 2007 and winners will be announced in Summer 2007.
The three new operating franchises will commence on 11 November 2007. End dates of the three new franchises have been phased to match end dates with other relevant franchises and contribute to a smoothing of the future re-franchising programme.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
1. The New Cross Country franchise takes in services on the current Cross Country franchise as well as Stansted - Birmingham and Cardiff - Nottingham services transferred from the current Central Trains franchise. It is planned that the franchise will run until 31 March 2016, the last 2 years and 4 months of which will be conditional upon achieving pre-set performance targets.
2. The East Midlands franchise will be formed from the current Midland Mainline franchise as well as the Liverpool - Norwich and local services in the East Midlands area transferred from the current Central Trains franchise. It is planned that the franchise will run until 31 March 2015, the last year and 4 months of which will be conditional upon achieving pre-set performance targets.
3. The West Midlands franchise will be made up of the remaining services of the current Central Trains franchise and the current Silverlink County services. However, the Snow Hill services may become part of either the West Midlands franchise or the Chiltern franchise depending on the proposal from Chiltern Railways. It is planned that the West Midlands franchise will run until 19 September 2015, the last year and 10 months of which will be conditional upon achieving pre-set performance targets.
4. It was announced on 18 October 2005 that three new franchises would replace the four existing franchises of Central Trains (National Express Group plc), Silverlink (National Express Group plc), Cross Country (Virgin Trains) and Midland Mainline (National Express Group plc).
5. For further information please contact the Department for Transport press office on 020 7944 3108 or visit
http://www.dft.gov.uk, where the advertisement, Prior Information Notices, details on Central Trains Remapping and guidance on railway franchising procurement processes can be found.
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport Website:
http://www.dft.gov.uk
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