| | 
Archive
2003-02-03 SRA-001
Strategic Rail Authority
SRA announces agreement for Merseyrail Electrics
keywords: click to search
 *MER
franchises
franchising
Words in [single square brackets] included hyperlinks in the original document
Words in [[double square brackets]] are editorial additions or corrections
Words in [[[triple square brackets]]] indicate embedded images or graphics in the original document. (These are not usually archived unless they contain significant additional information.)
< operators’ contracts index
| | |
Press release
Strategic Rail Authority
SRA announces agreement for Merseyrail Electrics
The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) today announced that an agreement has
been reached with Arriva Trains Merseyside to run services for an interim
period following the end of the existing franchise, which expires on the 2
February 2003.
The agreement will run until 20 July 2003 when it is intended that the contract
letting and management responsibilities will be transferred from the SRA to
Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive (MPTE). It will also enable the
SRA and MPTE to complete the competitive process to select an operator for
the new contract.
The SRA and MPTE are currently evaluating the best and final offers of the
three shortlisted bidders announced in October 2002 and will look to
announce the successful candidate in the Spring.
Nick Newton, SRA's Managing Director, Operations said:
"We are pleased to have reached agreement with Arriva which will facilitate a
smooth transition to the new franchise. We are looking forward to completing
the bidding process shortly in time for the start of the new contract in July."
Notes to Editors
1. The SRA announced on 1 October 2002 that they have short-listed
three bidders for the new contract: Keolis SA (subsequently joined by
GB Railways), Serco Ltd/NS Dutch Railways and TRANSDEV
Plc/RATP International.
2. The Merseyrail Electrics franchise includes passenger rail services
between Liverpool and Southport, Ormskirk, Kirkby, Hunts Cross, New
Brighton, West Kirby, Chester and Ellesmere Port. The services, the
greater part of which are supported by, and operate to, the
specification of Merseytravel, are currently operated by Arriva Trains
Merseyside. The self contained nature of the network, the services and
the market it serves means that the Merseyrail Electrics network is
uniquely suited to greater local control and accountability. As no other
network has these unique attributes there are no plans to transfer
responsibilities for other franchises to local Passenger Transport
Executives.
Railnews Archive ::: 2003-02-03 SRA-001
| | | | related documents
 Full text of document
| | |
