New rail franchises to oversee £1.2Bn investment

New rail franchises have been announced that will see widespread improvements to the rail services in the North of England and Scotland.

Two new passenger franchises have been awarded, with the Northern franchise given to Arriva Rail North Limited and the TransPennine Express (TPE) to First Trans Pennine Express Ltd.

These operators will manage more than £1.2Bn of investment in the rail system in these regions and envisaged to help deliver the government’s Northern Powerhouse project.

Both franchises are due to begin on 1 April 2016. The Northern franchise will run for a duration of nine years and the TPE franchise for seven years.

Transport Minister Patrick McLoughlin said: “These franchises will oversee the biggest transformation of rail journeys in the north of England in decades, with an unprecedented package of improvements for passengers.

“Together, these operators will oversee a massive £1.2 billion boost to rail services with brand-new modern trains, more seats, more services and a host of improvements to deliver a modern, 21st century passenger experience.”

The new contract will see the introduction of over 500 new carriages and an end to outdated and unpopular Pacer trains from service. It is hoped this will create enough space for more than 40,000 extra passengers during peak periods.

Other improvements to the service will see free Wi-Fi at stations and onboard trains and also the introduction of on-board media servers that will provide entertainment and real-time passenger information to smartphones and tablets.

Stations will also see First and Arriva invest over £55M in modernisation improvements.

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