Planning

Contract for Cross Country rail services. Currently operated by XC Trains Ltd

  • DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT

T01: Prior information notice for public service contract

Notice identifier: 2022/S 000-036582

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-039442

Published 23 December 2022, 3:31pm



Section one: Competent authority

one.1) Name and addresses

DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT

Great Minster House,33 Horseferry Road

LONDON

SW1P 4DR

Email

railprocurement@dft.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKI32 - Westminster

Justification for not providing organisation identifier

Not on any register

one.3) Communication

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

one.4) Type of the competent authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Contract for Cross Country rail services. Currently operated by XC Trains Ltd

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 60200000 - Railway transport services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

Areas covered by the public transport services:
Rail transport services

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 60210000 - Public transport services by railways

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKC - North East (England)
  • UKD - North West (England)
  • UKE - Yorkshire and the Humber
  • UKF - East Midlands (England)
  • UKG - West Midlands (England)
  • UKH - East of England
  • UKJ - South East (England)
  • UKK - South West (England)
  • UKL - Wales
  • UKM - Scotland
Main site or place of performance

Cross Country spans parts of England, Scotland and Wales, with its network centred at Birmingham New Street station; it serves both commuters and long-distance passengers. They serve the key cities of:

• Birmingham

• Bristol

• Cambridge

• Cardiff

• Edinburgh

• Leeds

• Manchester

• Newcastle

• Nottingham

• Oxford

• Plymouth

• Reading

• Sheffield

• Southampton

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

Contract for provision of commuter, regional and long-distance rail services on the UK conventional 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; and

• 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.

two.2.7) Envisaged start date and the duration of the contract

Start date

15 October 2023

Duration in months

96


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Type of procedure

Direct award for railway transport


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Additional information

The contract will be a core term of four years with available additional rail periods up to a maximum of eight years.