OV in Nederland

Shortlist announced for East Anglia franchise

BRITAIN's Department for Transport (DfT) announced on June 2 that it has shortlisted three bidders for the new East Anglia franchise, with incumbent Abellio seeking to retain the contract in the face of competition from First Group and the network's former operator National Express.

Abellio Greater Anglia (AGA) took over the operation of the franchise in February 2012, and a further direct award deal with the DfT began in July 2014, extending its tenure until October 16 2016.

AGA currently operates around 1900 suburban, regional, and long-distance services per weekday in eastern England and carries 135.2 million passengers per year, serving 176 stations with a fleet of 1034 vehicles.

The three bidders shortlisted for the 15-year franchise are:

• Abellio East Anglia (a joint venture between Abellio and Stagecoach)
• First East Anglia, and
• National Express East Anglia Trains.

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Opvallend dat Abellio de samenwerking aangaat met Stagecoach.

Operators invited to bid for East Anglia franchise

On September 17, the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has issued the Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the East Anglia franchise which will impose financial penalties on operators unable to maintain customer service targets. The future operator will be required to introduce 180 new weekly services, a fleet of new trains and free Wi-Fi for all passengers on its network.

Proposals for at least one new 60-minute service in each direction between Ipswich and London have been specified by the DfT, and extra points will be awarded for proposals to trial new rolling stock technologies. From October 2016, the nine-year franchise also requires any future operator to install controlled emission toilets on all its trains.

Rail Minister Claire Perry said: “For too long, passengers in East Anglia have not had the high-quality rail services that they deserve. Our ambitious requirements will change that by making journeys significantly better than they are now. These plans will also ensure that East Anglia finally has a rail network that supports its growing economy.

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Vervoerders zijn uitgenodigd om een bod te doen op de East Anglia concessie in Engeland. De vervoerder zal onder meer 180 nieuwe treindiensten moeten aanbieden. Onder andere Abellio doet mee met deze gunning.