Tyne and Wear Metro Bidders:

[TrainBrain185]

Hello, I am a new member of this interesting Forum .

Our local urban rail system, the Tyne and Wear Metro has opted to operate on a Franchise basis. Apart from Metro Managements' own bid, the other bidders confirmed are Serco NedRail, DB Rail and China's MTR Corperation.

Are there any views and comments from you guys who may have had personal experience of those above names.

Best regards:

 

[Mojo]

I'm not aware of the exact details, but do you know is this a franchise set by the DfT in the same way as the national network, with revenue risk, or a contract set by TWITA with more laid down, such as Merseyrail/LOROL?

 

[gordonthemoron]

DB & NS are fine in their home countries, DB is also good on Chiltern (although it inherited that)

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I'm not aware of the exact details, but do you know is this a franchise set by the DfT in the same way as the national network, with revenue risk, or a contract set by TWITA with more laid down, such as Merseyrail/LOROL?

The franchises appear to be negotiated between Nexus and the bidders - Nexus is a wholly publicly funded Tyne & Wear Passenger Tspt Exec. :

"Nexus, the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive, is to retain control of the infrastructure side of the business and let contracts within an ambitious £350 million modernisation programme.

This includes new communications systems, a comprehensive modernisation plan for 45 stations and wide-ranging overhaul of overhead lines, track and structures on the 56km network.

Nexus will let the operations franchise to run about 450 individual train services per day, including within it fleet maintenance and responsibility for a complete refurbishment of all 90 Metrocars.

The value of the concession over nine years has been estimated externally at between £200-£300 million.

The concession will begin operation in April 2010, after Nexus secured a funding commitment from Government covering both the capital and revenue sides of its business plan."

Bid document : http://www.nexus.org.uk/wps/wcm/resources/file/eb1cbc0c5a23b67/PINNotice.pdf

 

[TrainBrain185]

Interesting comments. I have been visiting Tyne and Wear a few times lately and personally wonder what the potential outside bidders are taking on with regard the fleet condition with a refurbishment mandate included. Seeing a good few passing in the stations, their bodywork condition on some are short of atrocious, the rattling interiors are shabby in the awful grey scheme and the ones I rode on having to endure multiple flats and vibrations. They have certainly gone downhill since riding them a good number of years ago.
Its perhaps then a good time to see fresh blood run the system as on these recent occasional visits, the once showpiece system of the UK looks a run down system.

 

[gordonthemoron]

or replace the trains, which are getting on for 30 years old

 

[spoony]

Interesting comments. I have been visiting Tyne and Wear a few times lately and personally wonder what the potential outside bidders are taking on with regard the fleet condition with a refurbishment mandate included. Seeing a good few passing in the stations, their bodywork condition on some are short of atrocious, the rattling interiors are shabby in the awful grey scheme and the ones I rode on having to endure multiple flats and vibrations. They have certainly gone downhill since riding them a good number of years ago.
Its perhaps then a good time to see fresh blood run the system as on these recent occasional visits, the once showpiece system of the UK looks a run down system.

Tell me about it, I ride the bloody things each day to work. Absolutely disgusting livery.
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or replace the trains, which are getting on for 30 years old

4001 which was the original test protoype is still out. Indeed I was on it yesterday