East West Railway Company (EWR Co) is to restart market engagement with potential train suppliers, as its rolling stock procurement process enters a new phase.
The move follows an initial phase of procurement activity, which EWR Co concluded earlier in the year. A new PIN Notice has been published today to restart engagement with potential suppliers, which includes a set of technical specifications taking account of feedback from the market gained during the initial procurement phase.
This procurement aims to secure a short-term, interim solution to leasing a small fleet of self-powered trains for the Western Section of East West Rail.
Simon Blanchflower CBE, Chief Executive at East West Railway Company said:
“We listened to what the market had to say about our technical specification, and this has enabled us to reshape our requirements in a way that give us more flexibility in achieving the right outcomes for passengers.
“It’s essential we get this public procurement absolutely right, to make sure we give the best value to taxpayers and provide the best solution to the communities who live and work along the East West Rail route.”
EWR Co launched its rolling stock Invitation to Tender in March 2020, when the company announced it is taking an interim approach to securing trains in order that passenger services on the Western Section of East West Rail could be up and running as quickly as possible. This remains a priority as the EWR Co engages again with the rolling stock market, with this activity expected to conclude by the end of November.
EWR Co will continue to keep the industry updated on the progress of this procurement.
Link to Prior Information Notice: https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:547341-2020:TEXT:EN:HTML
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
About the East West Rail project
East West Rail will create a new direct connection between Oxford and Cambridge. Serving communities across the area, it will bring faster journey times and lower transport costs as well as easing pressure on local roads.
Network Rail was responsible for developing the first stage in this project, connecting Oxford with Bicester, and is a partner in a construction alliance to develop the second stage of the route, where East West Railway Company (EWR Co) is acting as the Department for Transport’s sponsor.
EWR Co is now developing the route to enable services to run to Cambridge via Bedford and will be seeking statutory powers under the Planning Act 2008, following a period of extensive consultation.
About East West Railway Company
East West Railway Company (EWR Co) was set up by the Secretary of State for Transport in 2018 to develop East West Rail, a railway with customers and communities at its core.
We have a mission to innovate and challenge the status-quo in the rail and construction industries, leading to a more efficient and cost-effective project delivery, and a great experience for passengers and the communities we serve.
Our distinctive outlook and commitment to doing the right thing for our customers and local communities runs through everything we do and every decision we make.
