24.08.16
Abellio confirmed as East Anglia operator
It was officially confirmed today that Abellio will continue to operate the East Anglia franchise until 2025.
The DfT formally announced today that it is awarding the franchise to Abellio, the current operator, following the ‘standstill’ period.
Abellio was named as the preferred bidder for the contract on 10 August, beating bids from FirstGroup and National Express.
Dominic Booth, managing Director for Abellio UK, said: “This is a very exciting time for the railways across the Greater Anglia region. We are delighted to be able to build on the hard work of all our colleagues at Abellio Greater Anglia over the past four years. This announcement will now enable us to deliver the world-class rail network that the region deserves.
“Our ambitious plans, that include the replacement of the entire Greater Anglia fleet in the largest privately-funded train order in the UK, will give the people of the Greater Anglia region a railway that is unrecognisable from today.”
As part of the contract, Abellio has promised to replace the entire fleet of trains. Of the 1,043 new Bombardier carriages, 660 will be built in Derby, with the rest built in Switzerland by Stadler. They will be in operation by 2020.
Abellio will also provide more frequent services, including hourly services from Peterborough to Ipswich, with the journey time falling from 73 to 64 minutes.
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