DfT publishes Cross Country Prior Information notice

[Snow1964]

Expecting direct award October 2023
The contract will be a core term of 4 years with available additional rail periods up to a maximum of 8 years.

The rail contract between the Secretary of State for Transport and Cross Country, dated 13 October 2020, ends on the expiry date of 15 October 2023.

This prior information notice informs the incumbent train operator that we seek to obtain a direct award at the end of the current contract.

II.2.4 Description of the procurement​

Contract for provision of commuter, regional and long-distance rail services on the UKconventional mainline rail system. It is envisaged the services will be substantially similar to those currently operated under the XC Trains Limited Rail Contract (dated 13 October 2020), but subject to route operating and value for money (VfM) review. It is envisaged the services would run between:

• Plymouth — Edinburgh via Leeds, with a limited service to and from Penzance – some services are extended to Glasgow via Motherwell and also to Dundee and Aberdeen
• Reading — Newcastle via Doncaster
• Bristol — Manchester
• Bournemouth — Manchester via Coventry
• Nottingham — Cardiff via Gloucester
• Birmingham — Stansted Airport via Leicester and Peterborough
• Birmingham — Leicester local services

A Direct Award is now envisaged, in line with the policy published in March 2013 issued further to Section 26 of the Railways Act 1993.II.1.4 (nature and quantity of services or indication of needs and requirements).

There is a mixture of leisure, business and commuter travel on these rail services.

Is Reading-Newcastle a new route, or is it a variation of the services currently working to Banbury?

[Withdrawn] Cross Country rail services: prior information notice

Prior information notice (PIN) for direct award of Cross Country rail services contract.

www.gov.uk

 

[gabrielhj07]

I notice it doesn’t say too much about how the current service will be improved.

Is Reading - Newcastle a new one or a restoration of a previous service? I can’t recall ever seeing one.

 

[uww11x]

I'd imagine this longer term view will see Cross Country look at fleet options?

 

[godfreycomplex]

I notice it doesn’t say too much about how the current service will be improved.

Is Reading - Newcastle a new one or a restoration of a previous service? I can’t recall ever seeing one.

Before COVID 1tph, Reading, Oxford, Banbury, Leamington, New Street, Derby, Sheffield, Doncaster, York, Darlington, maybe Durham, Newcastle (with various extensions at either end to Guildford/Southampton/Edinburgh at various times)

 

[penguin8967]

Finally the return of regular Bristol-Manchesters?

 

[swt_passenger]

I'd imagine this longer term view will see Cross Country look at fleet options?

It’s less than the 2019 service pattern, because they’ve apparently removed the extensions either end of the Reading - Newcastle service? So I would expect DFT would reckon the existing fleet was adequate?

 

[gc4946]

Also hourly to Bournemouth throughout the day?

 

[gabrielhj07]

Before COVID 1tph, Reading, Oxford, Banbury, Leamington, New Street, Derby, Sheffield, Doncaster, York, Darlington, maybe Durham, Newcastle (with various extensions at either end to Guildford/Southampton/Edinburgh at various times)

Thanks.

 

[JonathanH]

It’s less than the 2019 service pattern, because they’ve apparently removed the extensions either end of the Reading - Newcastle service?

Other than Southampton the extensions were all in marginal time. There did appear to be an aspiration at one time for Exeter to Manchester and Southampton to Newcastle to be the core service, but the latter was restricted by freight paths.

Also hourly to Bournemouth throughout the day?

I don't think anyone should get carried away thinking that the full pre-2020 timetable is necessarily restored. All of the routes noted currently run, just not every hour, and in some cases only a few times a day.

 

[Watershed]

People are reading far more into this than there really is! It's effectively just an extension of Arriva's current contract. Under the current arrangements, the DfT has the power to change TOCs' routes at any time, and indeed the PIN hints at the possibility of some routes being removed:

but subject to route operating and value for money (VfM) review

 

[XCTurbostar]

Finally the return of regular Bristol-Manchesters?

Also hourly to Bournemouth throughout the day?

I really wouldn't read into this about service patterns.. The direct award in October will specify that.

 

[WizCastro197]

Also hourly to Bournemouth throughout the day?

It doesn't say anything about service frequencies.

 

[JonathanH]

It's effectively just an extension of Arriva's current contract.

Indeed, and that could mean keeping the same timetable throughout the 8 year period, or indeed trimming it back further. The wording of the fuller quote certainly doesn't imply expansion of the service offering, particularly referencing 'substantially similar'.

It is envisaged the services will be substantially similar to those currently operated under the XC Trains Limited Rail Contract (dated 13 October 2020), but subject to route operating and value for money (VfM) review.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Dec 2022 ==

How does the renewal process now work?

Arriva are the incumbent operator. Do they simply continue to be the operator until they or the DfT decide otherwise, with a succession of direct awards?

If Arriva want a higher fee than the DfT wants to pay, does the DfT go to the market to find someone else?

 

[Starmill]

If Arriva want a higher fee than the DfT wants to pay, does the DfT go to the market to find someone else?

They will have little choice but to keep rolling it over on terms no worse for Arriva than currently contracted. Both parties know that if they don't, the only realistic outcome is moving to OLR, which will cost the Department slightly more in set-up costs.

Arriva could try to refuse any extension without substantially improved terms but this seems unlikely given the current setup is low risk for them.

 

[DanNCL]

Is Reading - Newcastle a new one or a restoration of a previous service? I can’t recall ever seeing one.

Before COVID 1tph, Reading, Oxford, Banbury, Leamington, New Street, Derby, Sheffield, Doncaster, York, Darlington, maybe Durham, Newcastle (with various extensions at either end to Guildford/Southampton/Edinburgh at various times)

Newcastle - Reading is a partial restoration of the occasional Newcastle - Banbury services to what they were prior to Covid. Prior to Covid they were 1tph Newcastle - Reading, extending alternate hours to Southampton Central, with a daily Southampton - Edinburgh and Newcastle - Guildford also running, the latter both supplementing the otherwise exclusively TPE service at Chester-le-Street as well as retaining route knowledge via Havant for the ECS working to Eastleigh.

 

[gazzaa2]

I won't be using them until they sort out their rolling stock and put more carriages on.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

I guess Paignton and Newquay services will be permanently expunged and the new platform 2 extension at Exeter St. David's will not be needed for XC. A 'limited service to and from Penzance' is, however, mentioned.

 

[Snow1964]

This is only a Prior Information Notice. It doesn't specify the fleet. However, as you have noted, Value for Money is the key aspect.

Value for money doesn’t automatically mean going back to roughly the timetables of 4 years ago.

It could be cuts, but could be expansion with full length trains running hourly with ticket sales to put bums on seats.

If extra revenue gained exceeds the cost of extra services then theoretically a value for money award should be producing highest net income less costs.

Of course there are limiting factors, staff availability, and suitable rolling stock, and train paths but if highest value for money was a half hourly service and thousands of tickets filling all seats on every sector of each train journey, then as specified that would be the preferred bid. This is roughly what LNER are doing and they are effectively DfT

 

[Energy]

Deleted.

 

[eusd]

Does anyone know why it refers to a direct award rather than a National Rail Contract, like all other TOCs?

 

[yorkie]

If anyone would wish to discuss potential rolling stock provision, please use the following thread:

Following the XC 'Prior Information notice', what changes could be made to the XC franchise?

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/dft-publishes-cross-country-prior-information-notice.241142/ I very much hope that some money is found from somewhere for a a substantial change to the the fleet. XC needs a uniform load of bi-modes and in my personal view these...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Snow1964]

Does anyone know why it refers to a direct award rather than a National Rail Contract, like all other TOCs?

The DfT has a guide, appears the mix of franchise and direct awards is so they can manage a properly resourced programme of competition

The Rail Franchising Programme includes selecting, through Franchise Competitions, delivery partners who will support the Department’s vision and secure the most cost effective and value for money operation of rail services from providers who will continuously seek to improve services for passengers.

The programme also includes a number of direct awards to incumbent rail operators. The direct awards help to manage and sustain a realistic and properly resourced programme of Franchise Competitions and a healthy bidding market for those competitions. In entering into such direct awards, the Department is conscious that the commercial terms have not been tested through a procurement competition

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/365129/direct-awards-process-guide.pdf

 

[ABB125]

Is it just me, or are the Birmingham to Nottingham stoppers not listed? Everything else (pretty much!) that ran in 2019 is there, including Birmingham Leicester "local services", which is surely what the Nottingham stoppers are?

 

[HamworthyGoods]

I guess Paignton and Newquay services will be permanently expunged and the new platform 2 extension at Exeter St. David's will not be needed for XC. A 'limited service to and from Penzance' is, however, mentioned.

Newquay is already no longer an XC route.

 

[43172]

I guess Paignton and Newquay services will be permanently expunged and the new platform 2 extension at Exeter St. David's will not be needed for XC. A 'limited service to and from Penzance' is, however, mentioned.

It does feel like that way, i not surprised about Newquay given XC only served it during the summer months, and i don't think they've served it since the summer of 2019. Paington i'm not sure, maybe it might hold on given it has a year round service, but since covid has mostly had shuttle to Bristol. Seems like it, but it might get the odd use for engineering works or winter weather. I wonder if the "limited service to and from Penzance" is going to keep the current one morning northbound service or maybe restore the other two that used to start at Penzance pre March 2020 (current start from Bristol).

 

[Mugby]

I fully expect Reading to Newcastle via Doncaster to be just one journey per day, retained simply for route knowledge.

 

[JonathanH]

Is it just me, or are the Birmingham to Nottingham stoppers not listed?

Just a short working of Cardiff to Nottingham services.

 

[ABB125]

Just a short working of Cardiff to Nottingham services.

I know that, but doesn't the same apply to the Leicester services as part of the Stansted route? Both of those have been listed, but only the longer Nottingham route

 

[ValentaFan1974]

It does feel like that way, i not surprised about Newquay given XC only served it during the summer months, and i don't think they've served it since the summer of 2019. Paington i'm not sure, maybe it might hold on given it has a year round service, but since covid has mostly had shuttle to Bristol. Seems like it, but it might get the odd use for engineering works or winter weather. I wonder if the "limited service to and from Penzance" is going to keep the current one morning northbound service or maybe restore the other two that used to start at Penzance pre March 2020 (current start from Bristol).

Word around the depot is that one additional service to/from Penzance from May timetable, but don’t take that as gospel.

 

[pdeaves]

Does anyone know why it refers to a direct award rather than a National Rail Contract, like all other TOCs?

Fundamentally, a direct award describes how the contract is made, not the type of contact.