Greater Anglia franchise won by Dutch operator AbelIio

摘要

ABELLIO,the international subsidiary of Netherlands Railways, has won the Greater Anglia franchise and will take over operations from National Express East Anglia on February 5. The Dutch operator beat off strong bids from Stagecoach and the Go-Ahead group to win the Liverpool Street lines contract from incumbent National Express, which had failed to make the shortlist. Abellio is no stranger to rail franchises in the UK, as it already partners Serco in both the Merseyrail and Northern Rail franchises with a 50% stake. However, Greater Anglia will be the first it has operated in its entirety. The company says its first priority will be a seamless transition of operations for the two million passengers who use its services every week. The company already runs train services in several German states and is among the shortlisted contenders for Britain's West Coast franchise, currently held by Virgin. The franchise starts on February 5 and will run for just two years and five months - the short term being necessary to avoid clashes in the re-letting of the East Coast and Thameslink franchises.When it is renewed again in July 2014, the contract term is expected to be 15 years. Abellio has undertaken to provide better station and ticket facilities, a text messaging service to keep passengers informed if disruption occurs, mobile phone and print-at-home ticketing facilities, plus new information desks at major stations, including Liverpool Street, Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich and Stansted Airport.