Arriva has been awarded a seven-and-a-half year operating concession for the London Overground suburban rail network.
The £1.5 billion contract, which Arriva has operated alongside MTR since 2007, will begin on November 13.
Throughout the course of the new concession, Arriva will work alongside Transport for London to deliver a number of major infrastructure and rolling stock projects, including the electrification of the Gospel Oak to Barking line.
Chris Burchell, managing director of Arriva’s UK trains division, said: “It is exciting to be given the opportunity to build on the major improvements we have made in recent years and we are delighted to be playing a key role in the next phase of London’s growth and development.
“London Overground is one of the capital’s big transport success stories with passenger numbers rising rapidly, the transformation of stations, and the introduction of extended trains to help with peak overcrowding.
“They are just some examples of the step-change in quality and how the network contributes to London’s economy. From November, our role is to ensure this success story continues and customer satisfaction levels remain high – helped by 1,300 employees who understand the network inside out.
“We will be working closely with Transport for London to introduce further improvements which will bring world-class performance and customer service levels across the network and to new routes.”
The contract is subject to a mandatory 10-day cooling off period. Other bidders included LoKeGo – a Keolis/Go-Ahead joint venture, Metroline Rail and MTR.
Congratulations to Arriva for winning the LOROL (London Overground) Franchise.
Or concession.
Plus the new Class 710’s are scheduled to be build next year and will replace the Class 321 on the Romford-Upminster branch line and also to replace the Class 317 & Class 315 on the Liverpool Street-Cheshunt, Enfield Town and Chingford Lea Valley routes and Class 172 on the proposed electrified Gospel Oak-Barking/Barking Riverside line (GOBLIN) with some of the Class 172 LO DMU’s could operate on the West Ealing-Greenford branch line as London Overground is also set to take over the Greenford branch line from next year or in 2018 with a new bay terminus platform to be built at West Ealing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_710
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Overground
The 321 on the Romford-Upminster branch is gone already. It’s not confirmed that TfL is taking over the Greenford branch, or keeping the Class 172s.
So the Class 321’s that London Overground where hiring are gone to Abellio Scotrail to be renumbered as Class 320/4 and to have a extra removed as its to be 3-cars and being replaced by 1 or 2 LO Class 317 trains for the Romford-Upminster line for the time being. Well at least that the Class 317 train that which is being used on the Romford-Upminster line will continue operating on that line until the new Class 710’s are being built and are to replace the Class 317 and Class 315 on the Romford-Upminster line, Lea Valley lines and to replace the Class 172 once the GOBLIN electrification is completed.
The 321 hire arrangement (London Overground and Greater Anglia) was always only temporary.
So one of the Class 321 is still in service on the Romford-Upminster line or is one of the Class 317 to be used on that line since the remaining Class 321 trains are now transferred to Scotrail and London Overground are using one of their Class 317 train to be used on the Romford-Upminster branch line.