Stagecoach : TransPennine Express rail franchise

19 August 2014

TransPennine Express rail franchise

Stagecoach Group plc ("Stagecoach") is pleased to confirm that its prequalification submission for the TransPennine Express (TPE) rail franchise has been shortlisted to receive an Invitation to Tender by the Department for Transport ("DfT").

The TPE franchise provides inter-urban rail services across the north of England. It includes direct connections between the major cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle and to other cities and towns in the North. TPE also provides cross-border services between north west England and Scotland.

The franchise is expected to run for a period of around 7 to 9 years, with the provision for an extension of one year at the discretion of the DfT. An announcement about the successful bidder is expected in autumn 2015, with the contract expected to start in February 2016.

A Stagecoach Group spokesman said: "The TPE rail franchise is a key part of the North of England's infrastructure, supporting economic growth and connecting communities. We are delighted to have been shortlisted by the Department for Transport to submit our proposals for such an important part of the UK rail network at a hugely exciting time for the region. Passengers can look forward to faster journeys, better connectivity and significant investment.

"Stagecoach has played a leading role in transforming rail travel in Britain over the past two decades, bringing new ideas and putting customers at the heart of the railway. We look forward to engaging with local people and other stakeholders to develop a package of ambitious and robust proposals that will improve services and deliver better value for money to passengers and taxpayers."

ENDS

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NOTES TO EDITORS

Stagecoach Group

·     Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The Group employs around 35,000 people, and operates bus, coach, train, and tram services.

·     Stagecoach is one of the UK's biggest bus and coach operators with around 8,000 buses and coaches. Around 2.5 million passengers travel on Stagecoach's buses every day on a network stretching from south-west England to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The Group's business includes major city bus operations in London, Liverpool, Newcastle, Hull, Manchester, Oxford, Sheffield and Cambridge. Low-cost coach service, megabus.com, operates between more than 100 towns and cities across the UK and in mainland Europe.

·     Stagecoach is a major UK rail operator, running the South West Trains, Island Line and East Midlands Trains networks. It has a 49% shareholding in Virgin Rail Group, which operates the West Coast rail franchise.

·     Stagecoach also operates the Supertram light rail network in Sheffield.

·     In North America, Stagecoach operates around 2,600 buses and coaches in the United States and Canada. Megabus.com links around 130 key locations in North America. Stagecoach is also involved in operating commuter and transit services, contracted bus services, charters, sightseeing tours and a small number of school bus services.