Prior Information Notice for next franchise round

[barrykas]

Hi folks,

A quick peruse of the DfT website caused me to stumble across this site, where they provide links to OJEU notices, amongst other things.

The one that caught my eye was a Prior Information Notice regarding franchising, which can be found here.

Brief summary:

OJEU Notices expected to be published for Greater Anglia and InterCity® West Coast on 11th January 2011, with InterCity® East Coast to follow in "Summer" 2011.

Greater Anglia to start in February 2012 and run for a minimum of just 1 year and 6 railway periods(!), with a possible extension of 1 year.

ICWC to start on 1st April 2012 and run for 13 to 15 years, possibly longer with a "significant" investment commitment.

ICEC to start by the end of 2012 and run for 14 to 15 years, possibly longer with a "significant" investment commitment.

 

[Zoe]

Greater Anglia to start in February 2012 and run for a minimum of just 1 year and 6 railway periods(!), with a possible extension of 1 year.

Why not just give National Express an 18 - 30 month extension to the current franchise? It seema bit pointless to award a franchise and then another 18 - 30 months later.

 

[imagination]

Wonder if a new TOC would try to change all the liveries if its franchise was for just 1 year...

 

[swt_passenger]

Wonder what they're planning for c2c?

That DfT franchising announcement last week seems to have forgotten it as well...

 

[W-on-Sea]

There was an announcement made about c2c (aka Essex Thameside) at the same time. I can't find an official document right away, but http://www.transportbriefing.co.uk/news/storyadx.php?id=7269 has some information.

"The Essex Thameside franchise - due to expire in May 2011 - will be retendered for at least 15 years by 2013, necessitating either an extension of the existing contract with National Express owned C2C or an interim contract with another operator. "

I've been led to believe (not by any definitive or necessarily well-informed sources) that c2c were to get a 2-year extension of their existing contract, but I guess we'll see if that is to be the case soon enough!