Abellio proud to be announced as winning bidder for new East Midlands franchise.
Abellio welcomes today’s announcement by the Department for Transport that it has been selected as Winning Bidder to run the next East Midlands rail franchise.
The contract is due to begin on 18 August 2019, will run for at least eight years, and will be known as East Midlands Railway (EMR). EMR is a wholly owned subsidiary of Abellio Transport Holdings Ltd.
This news means that Abellio will oversee delivery of improvements for passengers over the coming years, building on the hard work of the existing team. EMR will lead the railway into the next generation of new trains and take full advantage of a £1.5bn Government investment in stations and upgraded tracks that will give passengers more seats, more trains and better stations.
Abellio’s commitment will include: investment of £600m including brand new bi-mode trains; a high-quality, dedicated, electric train service between London and Corby; and the introduction of faster, modern, refurbished trains across the whole network. This investment will also see transformed stations, improved ticketing and accessibility, and enhanced training and benefits for our employees.
Dominic Booth, Managing Director of Abellio UK, said:
“Abellio is proud to have been selected as the Winning Bidder for the East Midlands franchise. We look forward to this franchise driving economic growth and delivering significant benefits for passengers. Abellio will invest £600m in improvements to trains and stations, maximising the effect of the Government’s £1.5bn upgrade of the Midland Main Line, to make journeys easier, more reliable and comfortable for our passengers. Closer collaboration between East Midlands Railway and Network Rail will ensure that track and train are aligned to deliver vital enhancements to infrastructure and to put the interests of passengers first.”
For further information, please contact:
0203 5884984
communications@abellio.com
Out of hours: Ed Funnell: 07717 806 720
Emily Lightowler: 07775 548894
Mark Fuller: 07979 731903