East West Railway Company Start Second Phase of Rolling Stock Procurement

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 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. 

The eastern section was closed and the trackbed lost to development. The central section 
from Bicester to Bedford via Bletchley which was mothballed is being restored and upgraded.
The section between Oxford and Bicester has already opened.

The 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: here

See Previous Focus posting here