Delivery of new trains to be speeded up by new company

Passengers on some of the country’s busiest rail lines could see improvements arrive more quickly after Transport Minister Andrew Adonis announced that his Department had set up a new company to oversee the procurement of 202 new diesel train carriages.

The company, Diesel Trains Limited, has been set up as part of the Chancellor’s pre-budget review, announced in November 2008, which will see an extra £1bn dedicated to accelerating major transport projects.

This includes around £300m for an additional 202 train carriages which are due to relieve overcrowding in the Thames Valley, around Bristol and on longer distances in northern England. The trains are set to enter service by 2012 subject to negotiations with train operators First Great Western, Trans-Pennine Express and Northern Rail.

Transport Minister Andrew Adonis said:

“This is the most effective way to buy new trains quickly and for the benefit of passengers. This new company is an illustration of the Government’s commitment to reducing crowding for rail passengers.

“This is a milestone in the delivery of new carriages which will help to increase rail capacity on some of our busiest routes. I’m delighted we have reached such an important stage and that passengers will see the benefits within a relatively short period of time.”

In letters to industry partners the DfT makes clear that it does not intend to be a long-term owner of trains and the new company is not intended to compete with other rolling stock leasing companies.

To ensure this is the case the Department will invite the market to bid either for the company or for the assets and related contracts within it, and to take on the ownership and leasing of the trains.

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