The Department for Transport (DfT) has published procurement documents for the East Anglia route, officially launching the competition to find the new franchise operator.
Pre-qualification for the Greater Anglia franchise is now open and successful bidders will be asked to submit a detailed proposal later this year.
Abellio has operated the franchise since February, 2012. The two-year franchise was extended in 2014 for a further two years to allow a long-term contract to be drawn up.
The new operator will take over services on the route from October 2016.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “East Anglia has a thriving economy and I want it to be served by the best train services possible.
“Giving the region train services fit for the 21st century is vital to connecting people with jobs and businesses with customers. Good transport is central to our long-term economic plan.”
Does that mean new bidders including: MTR, First Group, Stagecoach, Arriva and Govia/Go Ahead to take over the Greater Anglia franchise in 2016 with the prospect of getting brand new trains to replace the Intercity London-Norwich trains, Class 317’s and of course Class 321’s with Bombardier building more Class 379 Electrostar trains and new Intercity rolling stocks.
The proposed operator after Abellio Greater Anglia is finished I reckon a new operator will take over including several names: The 4 train operators I chosen.
First Group:
First Anglia Trains (1st)
First Great Eastern
Stagecoach:
Anglia Region Trains
Greater Anglia Trains (2nd)
Arriva:
Arriva Trains Anglia (3rd)
Arriva Eastern Trains
Govia Go-Ahead:
Eastern Counties Trains (4th)
Great Anglia Trains
MTR:
MTR Anglia Trains
New operator means brand new trains for the Anglia Region aswell Essex.
Bombardier have expressly said that after the Class 387 Electrostars for Southern / Gatwick Express are built then that is it for the design and no more will be built.
They will be clearing the production line for the new Class 345s to be built for Crossrail based on the new Aventra Mk II
http://uk.bombardier.com/en/transportation/presence-in-country/future-concepts-projects.html
So Bombardier will not be building no more Electrostars after they built the Class 387/1’s for Thameslink, Class 387/2’s for Gatwick Express and the S7 District Line trains and the Class 345 Crossrail Aventra trains.
Hope Hitachi could be building their new AT-200 commuter trains.
But Bombardier do have a handful of building the next generation Electric Multiple Unit trains that they are currently building the Class 387/2’s for Gatwick Express and 387/3 for First Great Western with the 387/1’s being transferred to FGW from Thameslink as the arrival of the Siemens Class 700 Desiro City will be in full service from mid/late next year.
Bombardier have expressly said that after the Class 387 Electrostars for Southern / Gatwick Express are built then that is it for the design and no more will be built.
They will be clearing the production line for the new Class 345s to be built for Crossrail based on the new Aventra Mk II
http://uk.bombardier.com/en/transportation/presence-in-country/future-concepts-projects.html