Serco NZ, Transdev Auckland and KiwiRail are the three short-listed companies that will be invited to tender to operate passenger rail services from 1 July 2016.
Tender documents will be issued to the short-listed companies soon and the new rail contract will take effect from next year, when the existing contract expires, Mark Lambert, general manager AT Metro announced.
The new contract will be performance-based and reflect the huge changes in the Auckland passenger rail system since the current contract was put in place in 2003, Lambert explained.
Auckland’s Metro rail service has been electrified and modern electric trains will soon be operating on all lines, stations have been upgraded, new stations built and the Western Line double-tracked.
The number of services has significantly increased from 40,000 to 140,000 per annum since 2003. Passenger boardings have passed a record 13 million a year and are climbing at record rates, with growth of 33% in March 2015 compared to the same month last year. Annual growth for the March year was 21%.
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