Tilt trains in prospect as final franchises awarded

ANNOUNCEMENTS on February 11 that Britain’s National Express Group had been chosen as preferred bidder for the ScotRail and Central Trains passenger franchises marked the culmination of the drive to transfer 25 ex-BR train operating companies to the private sector in little more than a year. The Office of Passenger Rail Franchising announced the winners of the final seven franchises in a two-week burst beginning on January 30.

The decision gives NEG the highest total of franchises, coming a week after the group added suburban operator North London Railways to the Gatwick Express and Midland Main Line franchises it won last year. Second-placed Prism Rail failed to add to its existing four TOCs, and no other operator has more than two.

Merseyside-based bus group MTL Trust Holdings has added Regional Railways North East to the Merseyrail Electrics franchise which it took over on January 19. The Great Western Holdings management buy-out team backed by First Bus, which won one of the first two franchises that were handed over in February 1996, has now been awarded the franchise for North West Regional Railways.

The last London commuter franchise has gone to an Anglo-French consortium of bus groups Go-Ahead and Via GTI. Govia is promising to pay an average £17m premium for the right to operate Thameslink over the next seven years.

On February 7 OPRAF announced its preferred bidder for the biggest of the TOCs - InterCity West Coast linking London to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. Airline-to-records group Virgin, which already operates the Birmingham-based Cross-Country franchise, plans to order a fleet of 200 km/h tilting trains costing around £600m to replace the 30-year old fleet and take advantage of the long-overdue West Coast Main Line modernisation now costed by Railtrack at £1·35bn.

Britain’s first series-built tilting trains are likely to appear on the rival East Coast route. Sea Containers Chairman James Sherwood revealed on January 28 that Great North Eastern Railway had called bids for a pair of 225 km/h trainsets to cut London - Edinburgh journey times to 3h 30min. GNER Chief Executive Christopher Garnett expected to award a contract for the 10 or 11-car units by the end of this month, for delivery in about two years. o

ANNOUNCEMENTS on February 11 that Britain’s National Express Group had been chosen as preferred bidder for the ScotRail and Central Trains passenger franchises marked the culmination of the drive to transfer 25 ex-BR train operating companies to the private sector in little more than a year. The Office of Passenger Rail Franchising announced the winners of the final seven franchises in a two-week burst beginning on January 30.

The decision gives NEG the highest total of franchises, coming a week after the group added suburban operator North London Railways to the Gatwick Express and Midland Main Line franchises it won last year. Second-placed Prism Rail failed to add to its existing four TOCs, and no other operator has more than two.

Merseyside-based bus group MTL Trust Holdings has added Regional Railways North East to the Merseyrail Electrics franchise which it took over on January 19. The Great Western Holdings management buy-out team backed by First Bus, which won one of the first two franchises that were handed over in February 1996, has now been awarded the franchise for North West Regional Railways.

The last London commuter franchise has gone to an Anglo-French consortium of bus groups Go-Ahead and Via GTI. Govia is promising to pay an average £17m premium for the right to operate Thameslink over the next seven years.

On February 7 OPRAF announced its preferred bidder for the biggest of the TOCs - InterCity West Coast linking London to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. Airline-to-records group Virgin, which already operates the Birmingham-based Cross-Country franchise, plans to order a fleet of 200 km/h tilting trains costing around £600m to replace the 30-year old fleet and take advantage of the long-overdue West Coast Main Line modernisation now costed by Railtrack at £1·35bn.

Britain’s first series-built tilting trains are likely to appear on the rival East Coast route. Sea Containers Chairman James Sherwood revealed on January 28 that Great North Eastern Railway had called bids for a pair of 225 km/h trainsets to cut London - Edinburgh journey times to 3h 30min. GNER Chief Executive Christopher Garnett expected to award a contract for the 10 or 11-car units by the end of this month, for delivery in about two years. o