Contract for East Midlands rail services. Currently operated by Abellio East Midlands Limited

  • THE DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT

F14: Notice for changes or additional information

Notice identifier: 2021/S 000-027146

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-02f177

Published 29 October 2021, 9:10am



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

THE DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT

Great Minster House,33 Horseferry Road

LONDON

SW1P4DR

Email

railprocurement@dft.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKI32 - Westminster

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Contract for East Midlands rail services. Currently operated by Abellio East Midlands Limited

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 60200000 - Railway transport services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Contract for provision of commuter, regional and long distance rail services on the UK conventional mainline rail system.


Section six. Complementary information

six.6) Original notice reference

Notice number: 2020/S 217-534167


Section seven. Changes

seven.1.2) Text to be corrected in the original notice

Section number

II.2.7

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Envisaged start date and the duration of the contract

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Date

1 April 2022

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Date

16 October 2022

Section number

II.2.4

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Description of the procurement

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Text

Contract for provision of commuter, regional and long distance rail services on the UK conventional mainline rail system. It is envisaged the services would run between:

(a) London to Sheffield via Derby;

(b) London to Nottingham;

(c) London to Corby;

(d) Corby to Loughborough via Melton Mowbray;

(e) Leicester to Matlock via Spondon;

(f) Leicester to Worksop via Nottingham;

(g) Leicester to Grimsby via Lincoln;

(h) Grimsby to Cleethorpes;

(i) Matlock to Crewe;

(j) Matlock to Worksop via Nottingham;

(k) Matlock to Grimsby via Lincoln;

(l) Sheffield to Liverpool;

(m) Sheffield to Norwich via Ely;

(n) Sheffield to Skegness via Grantham;

(o) Sheffield to Skegness via Peterborough;

(p) Peterborough to Sileby;

(q) Lincoln to Doncaster via Sheffield;

(r) Lincoln to Leeds via Sheffield and Wakefield;

(s) Lincoln to Leeds via Sheffield and Doncaster;

(t) Lincoln to Scarborough via Sheffield and York;

(u) Doncaster to Grimsby via Lincoln;

(v) Newark North Gate to Grimsby via Lincoln;

(w) Lincoln to Skegness;

(x) Lincoln to Peterborough via Spalding;

(y) Lincoln to Peterborough via Ancaster;

(z) Lincoln to Norwich via Grantham;

(aa) Lincoln to Norwich via Peterborough;

(bb) Cleethorpes to Barton-on-Humber.

There is a mixture of leisure, business and commuter travel. These services would be similar to those currently operated on the East Midlands Franchise.

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Text

Contract for provision of commuter, regional and long distance rail services on the UK conventional mainline rail system. It is envisaged the services would run between:

London to Sheffield via Leicester and Derby;

London to Nottingham via Leicester;

London to Corby via Kettering;

Corby to Melton Mowbray;

Sheffield to Leeds via Doncaster or Moorthorpe and Wakefield Westgate;

Nottingham to Norwich via Loughborough, Melton Mowbray, Peterborough and Ely;

Nottingham to Norwich via Grantham, Peterborough and Ely;

Peterborough to Thetford direct (via Ely West curve);

Nottingham to Skegness via Grantham, Sleaford and Boston;

Nottingham to Sheffield via Alfreton and Chesterfield;

Sheffield to Liverpool Lime Street via Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly and Warrington Central

Nottingham to Worksop via Mansfield;

Nottingham to Derby;

Chesterfield to Grindleford direct;

Derby to Matlock;

Derby to Crewe via Uttoxeter;

Lincoln to Peterborough via Ruskington and Spalding;

Lincoln to Nottingham via Newark Castle;

Lincoln to Cleethorpes via Grimsby Town

Newark North Gate to Lincoln

Cleethorpes to Barton-on-Humber;

East Midlands Parkway to Ilkeston direct;

Attenborough to Ilkeston direct; and

Nottingham to Sleaford (via Bottesford to Ancaster direct line).

Section number

VI.1

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Additional information

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It is anticipated that the contract will have a duration in the region of 4 to 6 years in total and this is likely to include a core period of at least 4 years with an optional additional period or periods exercisable at the sole discretion of the contracting authority.

The contracting authority reserves the right not to proceed with the Direct Award as envisaged or to use an alternative method to procure an operator for the contract.

Without limiting that, it is currently anticipated that the grant of any Direct Award as envisaged in this notice will follow on from the completion of certain termination arrangements in respect of the extant Franchise Agreement entered into by the contracting authority and Abellio East Midlands Ltd on 9 May 2019 (the 'Franchise Agreement'). The Franchise Agreement has been substantially varied by the Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement ('ERMA') entered into by the parties on 19 September 2020. Under the ERMA, Abellio East Midlands Ltd must have completed the termination arrangements by 14 December 2020. If those arrangements are not completed by that date, the Secretary of State may terminate the ERMA. If the ERMA is terminated, the variations to the Franchise Agreement will fall away and the parties will revert to the underlying terms of the Franchise Agreement. In those circumstances, it is currently anticipated that the Direct Award as envisaged in this notice will not be made.

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It is anticipated that the contract will have a duration of 4 to 8 years in total and this is likely to include a core period of at least 4 years and a further period of no more than 4 years during which the contracting authority will have the right, exercisable at its sole discretion, to terminate the contract on notice.

The contracting authority reserves the right not to proceed with the Direct Award as envisaged or to use an alternative method to procure an operator for the contract.

Without limiting that, it is currently anticipated that the grant of any Direct Award as envisaged in this notice will follow on from the expiry of the extant Franchise Agreement entered into by the contracting authority and Abellio East Midlands Ltd on 9 May 2019 (the 'Franchise Agreement'). The Franchise Agreement has been substantially varied by the Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement ('ERMA') entered into by the parties on 19 September 2020. The expiry date of the ERMA, which was entered into in compliance with Article 5(5) of Regulation 1370/2007, and of the underlying Franchise Agreement, is being extended from 1 April 2022 to 16 October 2022 by exercise of the Secretary of State's contractual right to extend.

Section number

II.2.7

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Envisaged start date and the duration of the contract

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Duration in months: 72

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Duration in months: 96