Transport operator FirstGroup announced it will make a joint bid with Trenitalia UK for the East Midlands and West Coast Partnership rail franchise competitions due to be awarded in 2018.
First Trenitalia East Midlands Rail Limited, the joint venture between the two, has submitted an expression of interest to the Department for Transport in respect of the East Midlands rail franchise competition.
“Both ourselves and Trenitalia have extensive expertise of running commuter, regional and long distance services such as those that make up the East Midlands franchise. Their knowledge will add further depth and understanding as we develop our proposals to deliver passenger benefits that take full advantage of the significant investment that government and the industry are making in the region’s rail infrastructure,” First Rail managing director Steve Montgomery said.
The West Coast Partnership franchise was announced on 4 November 2016, combining the current InterCity West Coast services with the development and introduction of High Speed 2 services. The new franchise will be responsible for services on both the West Coast Main Line from 2019 and designing and running the initial high speed services from 2026. The franchise will run for the first three to five years of operation of HS2.
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